The Favor
by GeekyLoveLorne
Summary: In the final of three parts, we see how Edwin return to Lizzie and the introduction of a character who will be important later.
1. The Favor

The Favor

Derek checked the time on his phone for the third time in the last ten minutes. _Where are they_ he thought? He really needed their second and third opinions on this. It wasn't that he disagreed with Marti's thoughts on it but she was also biased, being one of the more subtle shippers for the chaotic pair.

He was about to check his phone for the fourth time when his dad, George, and his brother, Edwin, walked into the pub. Singling to them where he was, Derek also gestured for the waiter to bring over three more beers. When they were closer, he tossed out a teasing comment, "You ladies carpool?"

Edwin shot Derek an annoyed look as he sat down, "No, we meet outside and were trying to figure out what you did that you would call both of us to a pub." Leaning closer, he took a sniff of his older brother then turned to his dad, "He's not drunk." Derek eyed his brother and once again tried not to be envious of investment bank who had married his college sweetheart.

"Thank you. Edwin," was George's reply. The oldest Venturi was getting up there with age, but could and would have no problem putting an end to fighting that might start between the brothers. Turning to his older son he asked, "So what is the emergency?"

Derek held up a finger for them to wait one more second as the waiter appeared with the soon to be much needed alcohol. Almost snatching the beers from the man, Derek dropped one in front of each Venturi at the table. As the waiter left, Derek motioned for them to grab theirs as he snatched up his own mostly untouched original bottle.

When they complied, Derek took a sip and said, "Casey's pregnant. It's mine."

Looking back on it, it was kind of a strange way to finally start a relationship, but then Casey and he never did anything normal when the other one was involved. About six months ago, she had called Derek up out of the blue, asking if she could come over and talk to him about a favor she needed. Intrigued as to what the thirty-five year old heart surgeon wanted that a thirty-six year old algebra teacher could give her, Derek had told her to come over to his place that night.

Derek had expected her to show up at maybe ten o'clock as her shifts normally went late. Instead, she was waiting for him outside his apartment after he got off work around five. She also had a six pack of his favorite beer and was shuffling nervously in the way she used to do when they were younger and she was afraid of being caught doing something wrong.

After they traded barbs for a minute, him asking if she needed to use the little girl's room and her asking if that was something he normally said to his dates, she eased up a little and helped him carry some homework upstairs. With the finally box was brought up, Casey had snapped open two bottles and purposed a toast to academia.

Derek could tell she was still tense and just took the offered beer and let her talk. Casey went on about how she had never been there before and how they needed to keep in touch more. Then she asked about how the family was doing. He told her about Robbie's getting into college on a scholastic scholarship. Lizzie had just won a civil case for an environmental group. Edwin was handling a scandal about one of his companies being involved with illegal dumping. Yes the two things were related. Marti was fine and was currently dating one of her camera men of her globe-trotting news show. Dad and Nora were enjoying getting ready for retirement. Everyone was okay and was sorry that she had to miss the last family get together.

Finally he asked how she was, as she had gone through three beers already and was looking around the place like she thought the police might storm in at any second. Casey had just deflected the question by asking about Derek's love life, noting the lack of mention of a woman. He had told her that he was too busy with his career and charity work to date.

Casey admitted to having a similar problem and that was why she was here. They were at this time in the living room with Derek sitting in the replacement recliner from the one that had been lost in the shuffle between Kingston and London during their college years and Casey had been pacing around the room in a fashion that reminded Derek of how she would be when talking with Paul. Downing the fourth beer, she had walked over to Derek, straddled his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss.

Surprised, Derek had let her for a minute, but quickly put a stop to it when he realized that she was trying to unbutton his shirt. Pushing her off him, Derek stood quickly and asked, "What the hell, Case?!"

Now this that needs a little explaining: Teenage Derek would have started working on getting her undressed, wanting to see if his fantasies matched the real thing. That Derek had thought that the reason why he was always fighting with Casey was because she was a gorgeous teenage girl that he couldn't touch without causing some serious problems for their families. College Derek would have slowed her down and asked if this was what she wanted, because he wanted her happy. This Derek had realized that their fights were them saying 'this sucks, but I just might love you'. This Derek had bought a ring for an intelligent, easy on the eyes woman halfway through college and had tried to find the right moment to tell her just that. A moment that never came and he had decided that if it wasn't her then there wasn't anyone. From there, College Derek had become Caseless Derek who had focused his life on to being a teacher, a coach, a one night stand because I can't give you more kind of guy. He had reacted that way because he loved this woman and for her to move their relationship from not talked about to here and now, he know something was going on.

Falling to the floor, Casey scrambled to her feet and said, "Sorry, I don't know what I was thinking." Grabbing her purse, she was heading to the door, Derek noticing the tears about to form in the corner of her eyes. She looked at him and said, "Just forget it, I'll think of something."

This meant that if she walked out that door, he might not ever see her again. Moving with speed that he had earned on the ice, Derek blocked her path, "No way, McDonald. Why did you kiss me and does it have anything to do with the favor you want?"

Casey slammed her purse on the kitchen table and frantically searched through it for a collection of cue cards. Pulling them out, she looked at Derek and started, "I want a baby."

"Excuse me?" Casey wanted a kid and she had picked him to be the father? The answer was yes.

Clearing her throat, she began again, "I want a baby. As a woman in her mid-thirties, my options are limited. Most men in my age group are either already married or have decided to become livelong bachelors. While sperm donors are a viable choice, I want the father involved with the raising of our child. Of the men in my life, you are the most suited to my needs. You are well educated, physically healthy, not looking for a commitment, great with kids, and know how to deal with my quirks."

Casey's words of his not wanting a commitment stung Derek as she was the reason why he had stopped dating shortly after college and dived head first into his work. He wanted commitment, he had just thought that after seven years of them not doing anything while under the same roof that they never would. Now she was asking him to father a child with her. "You really are crazy, you know that."

Casey deflated, "So that's a no."

Derek shook his head, making sure that she saw that he wasn't making fun of her, "No, that's a you're being a keener. That's an okay let's do this."

"Good, where is the bedroom?" Casey asked as she began to undress.

Derek grabbed her hands and pulled them away from her body, not quite believing that he was stopping Casey from finally having sex with him. "Not yet. First we are going to have dinner and talk about this. Leave your keys; you're not driving anywhere tonight." It could be that he was delaying it until she was sure of what she was doing. The last thing he wanted to do was to finally be with her and she freak out about what she had done.

"Der-ek! You're not the boss of me." Casey screeched in a way that Derek was getting flashes of their high school years.

"No, but I am the more sober one. There's a diner a couple of blocks from here. The walk will clear our heads and we can discuss this arrangement over coffee." It would also help if he knew what had caused her biological clock to go nuts.

"Fine, but when we get back we're having sex." This caused Derek to look away and groan, _where was this insists thirteen years ago?_

"Maybe." Derek said, following her out and wondering how he had become the rational one.

Over dinner they hammered out the idea of how this would work. Once a week, one of them would go over to the others place and they would have dinner and catchup on what had happened over the last week. If the mood was right, they would have sex and the person would spent the night. If either of them felt things were off, the guest would leave and they would try again the next week. Casey would do a pregnancy test once a month. When she became pregnant, Derek would move into her larger apartment and help her through the next two years before moving out and back to his life.

That night, nothing happened. The four beers, the short walk, plus the fulfilling meal had done what Derek expected them to do and knocked Casey right out before they could even make it back to his place. Laying Casey on his bed, Derek took the couch, finally falling asleep with a plan forming in his mind.

What Derek didn't tell Casey was that he was going to intently hold off having sex with her for the next three weeks before agreeing to stay the night and would repeat the process until she insisted that they changed the arrangement to twice a week, then every night. At the same time, he used the very skills that had caused Casey to refer to him as a man-whore, to heighten each experience. Derek didn't allow Casey to use that joke of laying back and thinking of queen and country. By the time she was finally pregnant it had become more common for him to sleep at her place than his own and he knew every meter of her body and how each part would react to him.

But there was a downside; they had done this without telling this to any one of their friends and family. He had a plan but needed to know how they would react to it. Casey wouldn't be a problem as he felt that he had a card he could play to get her to agree. So he called up Marti and asked her to meet him at their normal place.

After a few minutes of catching up, he dropped the bomb like he would do with Edwin and their father. Marti's reaction was interesting. "Fucking finally! It took you guys long enough! So do I have a niece or a nephew?"

"Language Smarti, and it's too soon to tell. Here's the problem: Casey wants me in the kid's life, not hers. She thinks I want the same thing. I don't. Now how will the family respond if I could get her to agree to a more permanent arrangement?"

"How permanent?"

"The till death does us part permanent."

"Holy Shit, you're going for the gold rings? Well, Lizzie and Edwin will be okay with it, Robbie might freak out a little, Nora and Dad will be confused but understanding. As for Mom and Dennis, they might try to stop it, but will back off once the rest of the family rallies around you two."

"And Casey?"

"Will cry and say yes. You're Derek and Casey, Dasey forever. No way is she going to say no to the man she loves."

"She's never said she loves me."

"Yes, because your heads are thicker than bricks and you have to do everything back asswards. Come on Smerek, she chose you to be the father of her kid and neither of you dated after leaving Kingston. There has never been anyone else for either of you."

So here Derek was seeing if Edwin and his father shared Marti's colorful thoughts on the matter. After a minute of hearing the news, Edwin started laughing. George quickly followed. Derek shot them glares. "I'm serious."

Finally catching his breath, George turned to Edwin, "Well this is makes your news not so bad."

Still trying to stop himself from laughing, Edwin just nodded to his father to tell Derek the punchline. George shook his head, trying not to start laughing again himself. "Edwin is getting divorced. His wife found out he was having an affair with his best friend and served him papers the next day. Not to mention, her father was one of his biggest clients and threatened to drop his firm if Ed wasn't fired."

Derek just raised an eyebrow, "You're gay and lost your job?"

This caused the other two Venturi men to start laughing again. After another couple of minutes, they finally stopped. Edwin took a deep breath and began, "I'm not gay, Derek. I just finally got the nerve up to admit who was the real love of my life. _She's_ a lovely woman and we're getting married once I get this divorce over with. Until then, I've staying at her place and helping her organization with the lawsuits they're leveling against my former clients."

Derek was taking a sip from his beer when Edwin's words finally sank in. Almost spitting over his dad and brother, he shouted, "You and the Lizzard?! No wonder Marti thought you guys would understand." Turning to their father he asked, "You seem pretty calm, what's yours and Nora's take on this?"

Lower his own bottle to the table, George again shook his head. "We talked about this a few times when you were younger. Don't think we didn't notice the tension between both pairs of you. There were a few times that we expected you to tell us that you had eloped or gotten one or both of them pregnant, but there was nothing. So you finally acting on it when we're about to retire and sending a sixth kid through college is surprising but not something we didn't see coming. We'll have to convince Robbie that we're not going to appear in some reality show about crazy families, but otherwise everything is fine."

Shaking his head at this news, Derek decided to keep going, knowing the likely answer to his next inquiry but figuring it would best to still ask, "So with that out of the way, I have a question for you Edwierdo." Intrigued, the other Venturis leaned forward to hear his proposal, "Given your resent loss of fortune, wouldn't it best to go half with someone on the expanses and do a double wedding?"

This caused all three men to crack up as the idea sank in. Able to catch his breath at last, Derek raised his bottle and offered a toast, "To the McDonald women, for waiting a lifetime for us to catch up."

Edwin and George clanked their beers in agreement. "Here, here."

Putting down his beer, Derek reached for his wallet. The other Venturi men waved him off. George saying, "You need to save your money for the ring and diapers."

Edwin adding in, "Knowing Casey, you're going to be buying a lot of tofu."

Standing up, Derek just grabbed his coat and let out another laugh, "Now if you excuse me, I have to see her royal highness." He didn't tell them that the ring already being taken care of and had been for some time.

About twenty minutes later, Derek walked into Casey's spacious townhouse. There she was waiting for him, "Where were you?" _Yeah,_ Derek thought, _this is something to live for._

Taking off his coat, Derek palmed a worn black box that he had pulled out of storage, "Catching up with Dad and Edwin. They know about the baby. You might want to call your mom and sister before they beat you to it."

"Which sister?" Casey eyed him cautiously, not knowing if he wanted her to reduce the blow out or spread their joy.

Walking over to her, Derek wrapped his arms around the mother of his child, "Marti already gave her blessing a couple of days ago. I meant the one sleeping with Edwin. "

The news of Edwin and Lizzie took her by surprise and she cussed out, "Fuck me."

"Been there. Did that. Going again next time I can." Derek placed one hand over Casey's stomach. It was too early in the pregnancy to feel anything, but he wanted to practice for when there would be. Plus any reason to touch Casey.

"Wait, what?" Again Derek's words took her by surprise. He was holding her like he might a woman he cared for and was talking about being with her again despite the fact that was no longer necessary.

Derek could feel the confusion playing through her and was trying not to enjoy it as he raised the little black box into her view, "See McDonald, I have a problem and need a favor. I got this annoying keener of woman whom I'm in love with and need someone to convince her to say yes. Can you do it?"

Taking and opening the box, Casey saw the platinum ring set in the middle. On one side was the receipt proving it was from about halfway through their college career that it had been bought. On the other was the IOU that Casey had written the night they had spent in the diner going over how this would work. Her face say exactly what she was thinking, _the sneaky bastard had been planning this all along._

Slipping the ring on and turning to face her child's father, Casey kissed him. After a minute, she pulled away, "I'll see what I can do. It would be easier if there were plans for a wedding in the near future."

Derek just chuckled, "Not the near future, but Edwin agreed to a double wedding once his divorce goes through. So we'll already have a ring bearer or flower girl by then."

Casey just looked at him stunned. Then she reluctantly pulled away, grabbed her phone, and group dialed her sister and mother as she needed to hear this from other people. Holding the phone to her ear, Casey mouthed the words, "I love you, you jerk," as Lizzie and Nora answered on the other end.

Derek ignored the chattering and screaming as the McDonald women expressed their surprise and excitement over what had happened during the last six months. Staring out into the Toronto skyline, he hoped Casey would need more favors in the future as they could only get better.


	2. A Lie worth Telling

A Lie worth Telling

Case tried to get her thoughts in order as she wrote a letter for her unborn child:

 _Dear Son or Daughter,_

 _This is for when you're old enough to understand that there are a few things different about your family. Yes, Mommy and Daddy are STEP-siblings, and there is nothing wrong with that or, more importantly, you._ This is a complete 180 from where she started from, but she wasn't going to tell their child that. Her first thoughts of Derek had been not bad looking, but he knows it. Smart, but too lazy to work for it. Skilled with his tongue, both sense of the phrase, but I can't go there. So she had done nothing. Nothing but have some R-rated dreams about him and challenged him to be better.

 _Yes, it took some time for us to admit that we cared about each other._ Twenty years plus, at that. The first seven of that spend with paper-thin excuses of self-interest with images to maintain and that their family would have the head of the one that hadn't helped the other. The next thirteen spent wondering what moment had she missed that would have lead them to the happiest they was supposed to be. Then it was six months of 'You're my friend and you're doing this because I need you to, but we both know there's more to this' with Derek slowly getting Casey to understand there could be more, if she wanted it.

 _Yes, we didn't married until after you were born._ This was where Casey felt guilty. Not that their child was going to be born out of wedlock, but that they had been conceived out of a deception. Casey hadn't wanted a baby, she had wanted Derek's baby. All because of something Marti had said. Three months before Casey had asked Derek to help her, the youngest Venturi, Robbie was a Venturi-McDonald, BIG difference, had been waxing philosophically about how she thought that being the oldest child of divorce affected how Derek saw commitment. He could have fun, but he wouldn't get serious with someone if a child was involved unless it was forever. He wouldn't repeat their father's mistake with their mother. Marti thought that when kids came into it, Derek would think through every step and do almost anything to keep their family together.

Her words had stuck with her over the next few days so when she went to watch Derek coach a junior game, Casey had kept a close eye on how he interacted with the women there. She had to be careful as officially she hated going to his games and had laughed when he had invited the family to come if they wanted to. Her excuse of just passing through wouldn't work as the hospital and her apartment were miles in the wrong direction. The real reason was simple, she went to see _him._ They had gone from tripping over each other every day to only being in the same house for a few hours once a week; it wasn't even close to enough for her.

So as she sat there studying her high school rival, she realized that Marti was telling the truth. Derek would flirt with them, but if they made a sign they were interested he would calmly let them down. She also tried not to laugh as she noticed that the opposing team's colors had been changed to pink and purple and she doubted that their logo was a pony. She had to quiet her heart when she heard him counter an argument that he made them look weak, by saying that he had spent seven years fighting a princess and she had been his toughest opponent.

That night she had a dream about being in pain and there was someone just out of sight telling her it was almost over. Then things started to focus and she realized that she was in a hospital and the doctor was showing her new born. All Casey noticed was the brown eyes and a smirk, 'he looks like Derek'. Just as the thought hit her, the nurse came in to take the baby.

Panicking, not wanting this impossible child to disappear, she had reached out to him. Then there was Derek, trying to calm her down, 'Easy Case, you think with your third kid you would have relaxed a little.' Finally connecting him with the voice she begged him to stay. Cupping her face in his hand, he had just asked, 'why would I leave, you're the mother of my children?' That's when she had woken up, to find tears pouring down her cheeks.

That Sunday she had called her mom and said that she had to work and wouldn't be there for dinner. This was true, kind of. First she had to do some thinking. She had spent more than the last decade kicking herself for not telling him how she felt. She had had a dream about being the mother of Derek's multiple children. She had had this dream after seeing him with kids and hearing that he would never let go of the woman who gave him any of his own. She knew what she had to do, become that woman.

Casey understood the seriousness of this. She would love the child, how could she not? They would be the proof of Casey's love for Derek and be the one that finally got them together. Every moment spent with diapers, PTA meetings, sickness, cuts, lost nights of sleep, would be worth it to raise a child with his smirk and her klutziness or his cunning and her eye for detail or any other combination of them.

Money wasn't an issue, her career of being a heart surgeon provided her with more than plenty money to cover her living expenses, give a good chuck to charity, and still have some left over for emergencies and to save for when she was old and gray. Her apartment was large enough for a family of three; she had only bought it because it was close to work. It had felt more like a tomb to her, but maybe that could change.

As for the family, well, Casey had spent thirty-five years being good and doing what was expected and it had cost her time she would never get back with the love of her life; if that wasn't good enough, than she would just have to focus on being with her new family.

And on a vainer note, she could give up her body, not that she thought she had to. Like her family, if being good cost her Derek, then bring on the junk food and wasted time being lazy around the house. There was also the idea that being the mother of his kid just might put a heavenly glow on her that Derek would found more attractive than just her appearance.

So after deciding what to do, Casey had to work out how to do it. So research. First she looked up all the ways that a woman her age could get pregnant and came up with logical, 'keener', reasons why they didn't work. Then she invited Marti over as a way to make up missing dinner and had carefully asked her about Derek's love life to see if there was any competition in the way and how she could get rid of them. The youngest Venturi made it clear that there wasn't anyone with her passing comment of 'his all yours', which made Casey think the late twenties woman might be more conscience of her plan than she let on. Finally she had come to the conclusion that she would have to present it as a favor. Something that Derek could hold over her head. Fine, as long as he would hold her hand as well.

The next part was the hardest. Calling up Derek, she claimed she needed help with something and asked if she could come over after work to discuss it, oh, and she needed to know where to go. She had known from his own comments that he would be off work no later than five. So she had told work there had been a family emergency and she had to leave early.

Casey had wanted to change, but if she tried to look good, Derek might get suspicious. So instead she had bought his favorite beer, driven over there close to four and ran the way she would do it through her head. She would get him drunk, and then kiss him with the intention of getting straight to the sex. If he resisted, then she would give the wanting a child and him being an ideal candidate excuse, 'reluctantly' adding she would owe him big for this.

That's when the doubt had hit with a vengeance. If it hadn't happened in twenty years, it wasn't going to. He just tolerate her because their parents were married, when school was over he had let her go without a word. She had nothing in common with the women he dated. They were step-siblings.

But then Derek had pulled up and got out, worry apparent on his face. He had quickly covered by asking if she had to use the little girl's room. When she countered by asking if he asked that of his dates, one of the doubts was smashed. His dates never challenged him, she did. The smirk that appeared on his face as they spoke told her that's something that made her special to him. That there was hope.

Grabbing one of his boxes, she had followed Derek upstairs, hoping to get a look at his apartment. Marti usually had the best Intel, but there was chance she had missed something and Casey wanted to make sure she didn't have something else stopping Derek from saying yes. Once she got up there, he shot that idea to hell by mention there was just one more trip. Dammit, she couldn't snoop. Why had he decided to do homework now when he had avoided it when they were younger?

When the last box was dropped, she had yanked out two beers, shoved one into his hand, and offered a mock toast to scholastic learning. When he said nothing, Casey realized that he was waiting for her to talk; more importantly he was trying to get her to relax. So she commented on his place and said they should talk more, finishing by asking about the family. Her research had forced her to miss four more family dinners and she wanted to know if there was someone in his life without asking that directly.

Frustratingly, for the first time since they have known each other, Derek had just talked about the family and kept himself out of it. Casey had to keep moving and drank two more beers to not scream at him. She also kept checking the door to see if the possible girlfriend was coming, because if she acted as if there wasn't one and she came in while Casey was kissing Derek, this was going to get a lot harder.

Then Derek had the nerve to ask how she was doing. She just ignored his question, but her heart started beating faster. He was showing genuine concern for her. So Casey asked him point blank if he was seeing anyone. When he said no and gave the reason of being too busy, she agreed saying she could relate and that was why she was here.

Finishing the beer in her hand, Casey decided it was now or never. Pinning Derek to that stupid recliner of his, she started kissing him. When he didn't stop her, she started working on to getting his shirt off.

That's when he reacted by shoving her off him and shouting, "What the hell, Casey?!" Casey took it the only way she could, he was rejecting her. Getting to her feet as fast as possible, she grabbed her purse and made a dash for the door, fighting back tears as she looked at Derek for what she thought was the finally time, there was no way they could ever be in the same room again without this hanging over their heads. She had said somethings along the way, but the beers were starting to make her head fuzzy and she wasn't sure what words were spoken.

Derek had moved to block her path, his years on the ice evident in his motion. But more to the point was the look in his eyes. He knew that if she left, he was never going to see her again. His eyes seemed to be screaming 'no, not again', as he demanded answers. If he hadn't just rejected her then why had he reacted with such force?

Seeing this glimmer of hope, Casey grabbed it with both hands. Placing her purse on the table with more force than she had meant to, she searched for the cue cards that held her cover story on them. She needed them more than ever as she didn't know what she would say without something to guide her drunken mind. Maybe something along the lines of: 'I love you; knock me up so you'll never leave me.' Instead she said, "I want a baby."

Derek gave a confused, "Excuse me?"

Almost losing what was left of her nerve, Casey started over, reading the first card again, "I want a baby. As a woman in her mid-thirties, my options are limited. Most men in my age group are either already married or have decided to become livelong bachelors. While sperm donors are a viable choice, I want the father involved with the raising of our child. Of the men in my life, you are the most suited to my needs. You are well educated, physically healthy, not looking for a commitment, great with kids, and know how to deal with my quirks."

Casey studied Derek as she read off her reasoning. He had flinched when she had mentioned the lack of desire for a serious relationship as if she had slapped him. Then he was quiet for a minute before saying, "You really are crazy, you know that?"

Casey was confused. It was like high school all over again, 'I don't do tears' 'Whoever made you cry is going to suffer'. Was he rejecting her or not, "So that's a no?"

Derek slowly nodded in the negative, showing her that he was be serious, "No, that's a you're being a keener. That's an okay let's do this."

Again, her heart beaten faster. Derek had used the word keener, a word he only used for her. She had to act before he changed his mind again. "Good, where is the bedroom?" She asked as she began to unbutton her blouse.

Which he quickly put a stop to. Dammit make up your mind. But even as Casey thought this, she felt there was more going on, which only grow as Derek spoke, "Not yet. First we are going to have dinner and talk about this. Leave your keys; you're not driving anywhere tonight."

But still it was getting annoying, "Der-ek! You're not the boss of me." she screamed in a way that gave her flashes of their high school years.

He just responded with, "No, but I am the more sober one. There's a diner a couple of blocks from here. The walk will clear our heads and we can discuss this arrangement over coffee."

"Fine, but when we get back we're having sex." Casey wasn't going to let sobriety prevent her plan from working.

"Maybe." Derek countered as they left his apartment.

It was at the diner, after she had finished her second cup, that it finally hit what was going on. Derek making sure this was something that she wanted. That's when the second part hit her, and it was even harder. This wasn't the Derek she was expecting when she had come up with this plan. Yes, he was the same fun loving, torment her until she said his name Venturi; but this was balanced with a more thoughtful man, using his prankster cunning to help those close to him. This Derek wasn't going to sleep with her unless they both were sure that was what they wanted. This Derek would have listened to her if she had just come over and told him that she was in love with him and had been for the most of the last twenty years; that she had never given up on them. He hadn't rejected her back at the apartment, he had been surprised by someone he cared about going from 'I admit nothing' moments of possibly something more to 'I need you now' sex.

And now that was the problem, as she hadn't been honest with him. Everything she had done in the last few hours had been based off deception. Derek would never leave the mother of his children so she had thought that the only way to be with him was to trick him into getting her pregnant. She couldn't tell him the truth now. So as they worked out which day of the week they should do this on, she tried to ignore the pit in her stomach of being with the man she loves by way of a lie.

That night, nothing happened. The four beers, the short walk, plus the meal and the realization of what she had done exhausted Casey so much that she fell asleep as they headed back to his place. When she awoke the next day, Derek had left a spare key, a meal from the diner, and a note for her:

Case,

Had to run a few errands, let yourself out if I'm not back in time.

Derek

P.S.

I'll be at your place around 6 on Friday.

What's that saying? You make your own hell. Yeah, Casey had thought this qualified. What made it even worse was how Derek treated her. The first three weeks he had opted out because there was something missing, but he still kissed her goodnight and had held her hand for most of dates, which was what he called it.

On the fourth night, it almost looked like it would be another encore of the previous four when Casey let slip that she had seen his prank and regularly went to his games. After a moment his eyes seemed to register what she hadn't said and asked if it was after this that she had decided to become a mother. She gave a sheepish yes and was expecting Derek to make a comment, but he didn't. Instead he had just leaned forward and kissed her gently before lifting her out of her chair and carrying her to her bedroom.

But this too was a cruel torment, while Casey kissed with force and passion, Derek took his time caressing and exploring the parts he could see without removing a layer of clothing. After five minutes of trying to get her to slow down, he had stopped her and explained that they were going to get there tonight but there wasn't any reason why he couldn't make it pleasant for both of them and take their time. She tried fighting with him, but eventually agreed he had a point.

Excusing herself, Casey went to get something out of the kitchen. She needed a moment and had an idea how to speed things up. Once out of ear shot of Derek, she started crying. Why did he have to be considerate? He was making it worse. Cleaning herself up, she grabbed what she came in there and returned with a deal. If they could finish before the ice cream melted, he could eat it off any part of her.

Derek had made a counter offer. They would do it quickly, but they had to do in a position of his choosing and they would spend the next three times in bed exploring the art of foreplay without penetration. Intrigued, Casey had agreed, only to hear the orientation and wonder if she could do it.

That quickly revealed not to be an issue as they found that gyrating of her hips and the tight grip Derek held onto her with as he talked her through the motions proved too much for either of them and they climaxed barely minutes in. Collapsing onto Derek, she held on to him like she was afraid he would disappear. The only tease coming from him was that he now had a new reason to refer to her as royalty. Later this would become their favorite way of making love.

After the second night of learning foreplay, Casey elbowed Derek awake, not caring that she could have just slapped his wrist as he had been holding her as they slept. The cuddling had been his idea, stating that he had never 'just rolled over and played dead' and wasn't going to anytime soon. Groaning, he whispered, "What Case?" directly into her ear.

Casey ignored the shiver that had just gone down her spine, "We need to do this more often."

"Sleep? I agree, I'll talk to you in the morning." Derek squeezed her twice before trying to find out where she been lying so he could slide back to where her elbowing had moved him from.

Elbowing him again, she corrected him, "No, this," gesturing to their intertwined bodies. "The foreplay is nice, but the idea is to conceive a child and we can't do it this way.

Shifting his body, Derek gave out a sigh and said, "Fine, I'll check with my girlfriend and see what days would work."

Casey's body stiffened at the mention of a girlfriend, so there was somebody. Or had Derek found someone when he wasn't coming over here. She hadn't seen evidence of a woman staying at his place, well except for her.

Derek let out a slight chuckle, "Given how she's reacting to the news of _being_ my girlfriend, I might need a place to hide out until she calms down."

Her body relaxed, but her mind sped up. She needed to test how far this went, "I can't be your girlfriend D, I'm your sister."

Sighing at the loss of sleep, Derek turned Casey's face to his, "STA-EE-PAH sister. I have done things with you that would get me arrested for doing with Marti. This was your idea; you're stuck with me for the next three plus years."

"And after that?"

"I'll be nearby if you need a babysitter or tutor."

"Der-ek!"

"I think we've established that I will do anything for our friendship. Now when would be a good day to add? I'm thinking Thursday as I'm already halfway packed for coming over by then and the school isn't that far from here."

"Okay, that should work."

"Good, now can we go back to sleep?"

"Yes." Casey was grinning. He had called her his girlfriend and had implied that he might never leave.

Neither of them thought to mention that for the last two weekends, Derek had stayed over and slept on the couch, citing the nearness to his gym and the charities he volunteered for. Or that he was halfway packed because he never got unpacked, having to come over for whatever reason during the week and would crash there because of the lateness of the hour.

By the six month mark, Derek's apartment had become a gloried storage unit. So when Casey had walked in and said, "Get your junk, you're moving."

Derek had countered with, "Finally gotten over the Venturi charm? Where I am going?"

Slapping the doctor's report against his chest, Casey growled, "I don't know, but you can't use the guest room anymore. I have nine months to get it ready for my roommate."

Derek gave the paper a cursory look. Most of it hadn't make sense to him, but he got the jest, healthy and about a month along. Then he had done nothing but looked at her for a minute before grabbing her in his arms and spun them both around, almost shouting, "You're going to be a mom. You're finally getting everything you wanted."

Casey grabbed his arm as he pulled away, "That depends, you're going to be a dad, would you mind becoming a husband too?" She didn't have a ring, being not sure of what he would say or what he would like. But she had to ask as the joy coming off him was infectious.

Derek just stared at her, seeming to try and tell if she was joking. Finally he just asked, "I thought you picked me because I didn't do serious relationships?"

Casey tightened her grip as she dropped the truth, "I more choose motherhood because that was how I knew I could get you."

A parade of emotions flashed past Derek's face as he proceed her confession, finally settling on hurt and anger, "Why?"

"I couldn't go another twenty years not knowing if you cared about me."

"The words, McDonald. Say the reason why you did this to us," gesturing between the pair of them before pointing to her stomach and the life growing inside, the anger finding a way to vent, "and them."

Casey stumbled. In the last six months, the words like friendship, caring, essential, passionate, giving, intelligent, and desirable had been used when discussing what was going on between them. Even words like family, girlfriend, boyfriend, and forever had made appearances now and then. But one word, one phrase had never been spoken: I love you.

Casey knew why Derek had never said it. He had thought he was helping the most important person in the world to him to be happy. That if he had said the words, he might lose her because she didn't feel the same for him. Casey had no such defense; she had known from the first night that if she said it he would have been her's forever. But like in college, the not knowing if it would last had gagged her with fear.

Her silence was enough for him, yanking his arm free, Derek spat the words at her, making sure she heard the tense in the most important one, "I love _d_ you." Grabbing his coat, he stormed out of the apartment.

Casey just slumped onto the couch. She had tried to get a guarantee, a real life happily ever after, by lying to the love of her life. By using one of his best qualities against him; an affection for those closest to him that had shined through even when he had had the selfishness the size of Thompson High and the ego to match. The tears came readily, the sleep didn't.

Later that night Casey awoke to the sensation of being moved. Looking up, she saw the distant expression on Derek's face. Reaching up to touch him, she had to know if it had been a nightmare. If the worst thing she had ever done was still a secret. Derek catching her wrist before her hand could touch him told her that it hadn't been.

Derek laid her carefully onto the bed. Gently placing a hand on her stomach, he glared at her, "I'm here for them, McDonald. I will never tell them about your trickery and prefer you don't either. Every checkup, every teacher meeting, every day that I can, I will be in this kid's life. As far I'm concerned with you, you're a walking incubator. Then a babysitter and a tutor." Casey lowered a hand down to his, causing him to yell, "Don't touch me unless it's necessary and since you got what you wanted from me, I doubt it will be necessary ever again."

Walking over to the wall, Derek leaned against it, never lifting the glare off Casey, "You know what the truly sad thing here is, McDonald? I thought we paid our dues, when you kissed me that night. Twenty years of denial worth it, seventeen years of watching a child with your eyes and my smirk growing up and calling other people Mom and Dad worth it, thirteen years of wondering what moment had I missed where I was supposed to say I love you worth it, eleven years of Lizzie hating me for some damn reason worth it, ten years of being jealous of Edwin for marrying his college sweetheart worth it, but I was wrong. Somewhere between being the woman I loved leaving for med-school and being the woman who I can barely look at now, you had decided you had to change for me. That was the one thing I had had over all the others, you had never compromised who you were when you were with me. Unless it has to do with the baby or the maintenance of this dwelling, don't talk to me." With that Derek turned and started to walk out the door.

What hurt Casey the most wasn't what he had said, but the look in his eyes as he spoke, the hurt and anger was still there and had been joined by disappointment. Disappointment that she had thought she couldn't be herself when she was with him. Calling out, she begged, "Der-ek! Don't do this. How I can I make it up to you?"

Derek spun and jabbed a finger at her, "Only Case gets to call me that, McDonald. I don't know where she is, but she's not here."

"Fuck you, Venturi."

"Yeah, Fuck Me, just not anymore since you got me in your life and you know I'm not going anywhere."

"Only you're not going to be in _my_ life, Venturi. Remember, I'm just the walking incubator." It was clear that having his own words tossed in his face stung him. Well they had stung her too and she had some words of her own to throw around. " _You_ gave up on us when I left for med-school, _I_ never have, or did you not notice that I made it to every family get together. Spent every spare moment with you that I could. I only moved to Toronto when I couldn't stand seeing you and not telling you how I felt anymore. So your thirteen years is nothing to the hell I'm still living through. Now get out, I need my sleep to bake this bun of yours." What she didn't say was that while the last had been some of her happiest, there wasn't a day that passed where she would cry and try to figure a way out of the lie; to find some way to tell Derek the truth and not lose him.

As Derek walked out the door, Casey saw another emotion join the expression on his face, self-loathing. That one she could really relate to, as it had been a feeling she was well used to experiencing in the last decade or less and it had only intensified in the last six months.

The next few days, Casey watched Derek struggle with himself. He was mad at being deceived, he was angry that a child had been used to try and secure his love, but he was also mad that his own inaction had helped caused this to happen. There was a few times where Casey believed Derek would forgive her and apology for their stupidity, but it never came.

But something finally did happen and it came after talking with Marti. She knew it had to be Marti as he said he was going to see his sister and still believed Lizzie hated him. Casey knew that Lizzie had shared that feeling for her as well for the last decade, but something had changed in the last year and Casey suspected that her younger sister had now more of a feeling of pity and sadness for the pair than whatever hate she had held.

Whatever the youngest Venturi had said, the effect had been clear. The anger, hurt, and self-loathing was gone from his eyes, replaced with a look of annoyance and hints of joy. Grabbing something from the kitchen to munch on, he spoke in a much brighter mood, "Elopements, why do people do it?"

"Thanking of running off with one of your students?" Casey teased. She was glad that he was speaking to her instead of just pantomiming what he wanted when they had to interact.

"Just wondering what kind of person would buck the expected wedding and go for quick nuptials with some guy who thinks he's Elvis." Was he proposing?

"Well some people just know and can't wait to be with one they love." Casey almost added, 'you know, people smarter than us', but decided to see where his train of thought was going.

"Yeah, but there's still expenses, like the wedding bands and the engagement ring. Which makes no sense as why would you get something that says 'we're getting married', if you're tying the knot the same day and getting something that says 'we're married'?

"Some women like the gesture, Derek. Even if you give the ring to them the same day, it shows how long you have been thinking about marrying them."

"Okay, McDonald, I'll have to take your word for it." Casey nearly dropped the book she had been reading when he said her name. It wasn't her first name, but he said it more relaxed than he had been. It was more of a 'you're not getting the best of me' tone instead of the stand in for the word he wanted to use.

She quickly recovered and said, "The real question is how do they tell families what they did or planning to do?"

Biting into an apple, Derek spoke around it, "That's easy. Either tell the ones who would be happy and let them break it quickly to the rest of the family, or tell the one who would love to have some dirt and make them the bad guy when the try to put it in a bad light. That's the way to do it with all news that might cause a fuss."

"Chew your food, Venturi. I'm not going to save you if you choke on something."

"Even if I have something to live for?" Seeing the confused look on her face, he added, "I might." Shifting into a more serious tone, he said, "I'm going to be out late on Friday, there are a few things I need to take care of."

"Seeing that shrink at last?"

"No. And if I promise to tell you what it was when I get back, will you not bug me about it?" As long as he was still talking to her, yes.

So Friday night, Casey waited up for him. She sat in the living room, not sure what was going to happen. As soon as he entered she stood up and asked, "Where were you?" needing to know if they were going back to fighting or if they had braved the storm.

Derek just smirked at her and hung his coat up. After a moment to build suspense, he answered, "Catching up with Dad and Edwin. They know about the baby. You might want to call your mom and sister before they beat you to it."

"Which sister?" Casey eyed him cautiously, not knowing if he wanted her to reduce the blow out or spread their joy.

Walking over to her, Derek wrapped his arms around her, "Marti already gave her blessing a couple of days ago. I meant the one sleeping with Edwin. " Casey didn't move as this was the first time he had touched her since their fight.

The news of Edwin and Lizzie took her by surprise and she cussed out, "Fuck me."

"Been there. Did that. Going again next time I can." Derek sang as he placed one hand over Casey's stomach.

"Wait, what?" Again Derek's words and actions took her by surprise. He was holding her like he might a woman he cared for and was talking about being with her again despite the fact that was no longer necessary, his words still ringing in her ears from the fight almost a week ago.

Derek shifted his hold on he and raised a little black box into her sight, "See McDonald, I have a problem and need a favor. I got this annoying keener of woman who I'm in love with and need someone to convince her to say yes. Can you do it?"

Taking and opening the box, Casey saw the platinum ring set in the middle. On one side was the receipt proving it was from about halfway through their college career that it had been bought. On the other was the IOU that Casey had written the night they had spent in the diner going over how this would work. Her mind blown, she thought the sneaky bastard had been planning this all along. This also explained the reason why he had been so mad and had struggled with himself over the last week. She hadn't been the only one being deceptive.

Slipping the ring on and turning to face her child's father, Casey kissed him. After a minute, she pulled away, "I'll see what I can do. It would be easier if there were plans for a wedding in the near future." Remembering the conversation they had had a few days ago. Clearly he had been toying with the idea for some time.

Derek just chuckled, "Not the near future, but Edwin agreed to a double wedding once his divorce goes through. So we'll already have a ring bear or flower girl by then."

Casey just looked at him stunned. Apparently things had changed in the last few days, and even more had been going on under their noses for some time. She reluctantly pulled away from him, grabbed her phone, and group dialed her sister and mother as she needed to hear this from other people. Holding the phone to her ear, Casey mouthed the words, "I love you, you jerk," as Lizzie and Nora answered on the other end. It had taken a lifetime, but they were on the same page.

Casey looked at the letter she was trying to write and just scrapped it. Derek's version was more romantic and was less painful to remember. It might be a lie, but it was a lie worth telling.


	3. Missed Moments

Missed Moments

 _So, here's another upload. Here's a little behind the scenes for those interested. The Favor was going to be a one-shot, but while writing it I realized that I can do it as a series of shifting POVs. There's going to be a total of six when I'm done, not counting this one. As to whose POV's? Well the next one is called Precious Commodities, followed by Renewing the Partnership, Smart One, and Raised Dasey. Once I get this out of my system, I'm going to Get INto finishing the other stories I have posted and/or hinted at._

In the seven years that they lived together, there were hundreds of times that Derek and Casey almost told the other how they felt. In the last four, being away from their blended family those instants became more often. Here are just a few:

A few months into their stay at Kingston, she yelled at him for not cleaning up after himself for the zillionth time. Leaning back and looking at her upside down from his recliner he would have teased, "You know you love me."

Instead of calling him a jerk or a pig, Casey would have ran her fingers through his hair, said, "Yes I do," and kissed him.

After a minute, Derek would have gently pushed her away, "Case, what are you doing?"

"Forfeiting, D. You win. I'm in love with you."

When Robbie was born, Casey had stared at her new brother as he lied in his crib, "Think I would be a good mom?

Instead of insulting her, Derek would have wrapped his arms around her, looked her dead in the eye and said, "You will be a great mom, Spacey. That's why I love you."

After buying the ring halfway through college, Derek would have come back to their apartment instead of chickening out and toss the jewelry bag at Casey. "Will you?

Catching it, she would look inside, and then give him a questioning glance, "What's the joke?"

"No joke, just the truth. Marry Me McDonald."

After Derek revealed that he had made the Dean's list for the third year in a row, instead of excusing him to cheating, Casey would have grabbed him and gave him a long kiss. After breaking away she would have said, "Now that's the man I love."

The last missed moment was that day she left for medical school. The day they were afraid of replaying that night when Casey finally kissed Derek. The next thirteen years of heartache avoided if only one of these two moments had happened. The first would have had Derek scrambling to think of something as Casey walked out the door with her last box. Three steps out the door, she would've tossed the box and screamed at him, "You really are going to let me leave, you jerk."

Stunned, Derek would've said nothing.

Angered, Casey would've continued, "Have the last four years meant nothing to you."

Finally finding his voice, Derek would counter, "It was fun, we can't live together forever, people would talk. We're still going to see each other during the holidays, so what's the problem?"

"The 'problem', D, is that I can't go from spending everyday with the love of my life to seeing him a few times a year."

"You love me?" Derek would suddenly remember the little box in his pocket. Jamming his hand into his jacket, he tried to pull it out.

Casey would shove him hard in the chest with both hands, "Yes, I love you, you idiot."

Caught flatfooted, Derek would stumble and trip over one of his own boxes. His hand coming free, ripping the jacket, and sending the little jewelry box through the air. Derek crashing in a thud as the ring box would land between them, the force popping it open.

Reaching down and picking it up, Casey would ask, "Derek, what are you doing with an engagement ring?"

Carefully standing up, he would answer, "Waiting for the right moment to ask you."

"Ask me what?"

Giving her an annoyed look, he would snap, "If you wanted to go to the movies. Seriously, McDonald what else would I be asking with an engagement ring? Will you marry me?

Shoving him down again, Casey would have sat on his chest, placed the ring on her own finger, and kiss him quickly on the lips three times, "Y. E. S."

The other way would have been Casey walking out the door with her last box trying to think of an excuse to stay.

Derek would shout, "Like hell you are," wrapping both arms around her and hold tight, the box dropping on the floor.

Struggling to get out of his grip, Casey would notice the pounding of his heart even as she screams, "Der-ek, let me go."

"No. There has to be a school around here you can go to."

"None of them have the cardiology program I want. Now let me go, you have to learn to cook for yourself."

"Fine, what are the high schools like around there?"

"Derek you can't seriously be thinking about following your step-sister halfway across the country."

Pulling the small box out of his pocket, Derek would counter, "I would follow my wife anywhere." The romantic gesture lost as the box caught on the lining, yanking it free of Derek's hand and bouncing down the hall.

Pointing at her, Derek would say, "Don't move." This would have been unnecessary as she would have frozen at the sight of the box. It looked a lot like the ones that appear on TV that Derek would snark at.

After a minute, he would come back and pop the box open, "So am I moving with you or not?" When Casey didn't answer, he would slip the ring onto her finger, cupped her face, and kiss her.

Casey would break the kiss after a minute and say, "Yes, but my fiance gets the bed."

But none of these happened. Instead they stayed quiet and lost time. Instead their denial had cost two pair of lovers to spend over a decade wondering when the opportunity had passed. So many chances lost; so much pain that could have been avoided if only just one of these had occurred.


	4. The Talk

The Talk

Edwin turned the wheel into the pub's parking lot and wondered what his brother wanted or why he was even here. Okay, he knew why he was here. Lizzie asked him to try to be nice to Derek. LIZZIE of all people had asked him to give Derek a break. Maybe Edwin shouldn't have told her about the ring.

To be fair to Derek, he had been in a better mood these last six months than he had been in in the last decade. Those close to him knew why, he was dating Casey. Oh, it wasn't a secret, even if the pair thought that it was. They should have taken notes from Lizzie and him. They had gone six years without anyone being able to prove that they were dating. People had suspected but "Betty" and "Winnie" had covered their bases enough that there had been those with doubts. If only he hadn't been one of them.

Shutting off the electric car, Edwin heard a tap on the window. It was his dad, George, with a confused look on his face. Popping the door open, Edwin suppressed the Venturi urge to smirk, "Derek call you too?"

"Yes," George let out slowly as his eyes flowed between his third oldest and the car he knew didn't belong to him. Hiking a brow, the older man voiced the question going through his mind, "Should you be driving Lizzie's car? Pantec is still reeling from the lawsuit."

"And it's probably going to get worse as a former employee of Global Investments is now helping Clean Conscience to file a new one." Locking the car, Edwin decided honest was the best way, but that he was going to have fun at the same time.

" _Former_ employee?" His father asked, hiking up an eyebrow.

"Yeah, he was fired a few days ago for 'breach of contact', but Lizzie thinks they have a good case." The younger Venturi beamed with pride. After all, Lizzie was the most intelligent person he knew.

"How so?" George asked, curious as both a father and a lawyer since Lizzie was likely one of the best attorneys he's ever seen.

"Morality Clause. If they felt the firm was willfully ignorant of the wrong doing of one of their clients, any act done with that in mind is free from reprisal." Edwin explained. The clause was something that he had pushed for shortly after becoming the firm's PR man, citing that if the employees felt that they could freely criticize their employer they would be less likely to go outside the company to deal with their issues. Irony.

"You and Lizzie talking a lot?" George asked, Edwin seeing the gears turning in his mind.

"Well she is letting me crash at her place until the divorce is settled." Dropping one of the bombs that he knew would surprise his father.

"Divorce?!" George boomed in surprise.

"Bonnie didn't think it was funny for her to walk in on me for a change." Edwin elaborated, trying not to laugh at the memory of his wife and the pool guy walking in on the staged scene between him and Betty.

"You and ..?" George lead, his old lawyer habits not stopped just because he was talking with his son.

"My best friend Lizzie getting back in the habit." Edwin answered, another bombed dropped but still not the biggest one.

"Your college sweetheart Betty Green?" His father asked, knowing that this explained the change in personality between two of his children.

"The love of my life." Edwin stated the biggest truth and the one that he had tried to deny for six years, a period of time he now looks back on with regret.

"How long?" His father asked, needing to know how long this had been going on beneath his and Nora's nose.

"Since I first saw her. But we didn't get back together until the Winnipeg Scandal was finished." Edwin answered the last past being technically true.

"Over a year?! When were you going to tell us?" George shouted in surprise.

"Hey, where's this with Derek and Casey?! They're having romantic moments over Sunday dinner and you're mad that Lizzie and I have been subtle?" Edwin shot back, the playfulness gone. They were here because Derek, perfect Derek had called them for help and somehow he was the one getting the third degree.

"What?" Was his father's only reply.

"Seriously, Dad? Casey spend most their visit holding Derek's hand or sitting on his lap." Annoyed at having to explain something so obvious to his father and wanting to get this over with he said, "Never mind, let's just go inside so Derek can tell us that he's knocked up Casey."

"That's not funny." Was George's response, but Edwin could see him thinking.

"No, it's hysterical. Twenty years of foreplay finally paying off. And just in time for their firstborn to be heading to college." Edwin countered, his feelings of self-loathing over his past mistakes and the annoyance he held for the two older members of their family who had spent most of his life dancing around the truth.

"What?" Was again his father's only reply.

"Robbie, Dad; or did you miss them playing house?" Edwin stated, irritated that he had to walk his father through this.

"They were just helping raise their brother." George offered, Edwin seeing he was trying to find any alternative than the one his second youngest son had given.

"They were raising a Venturi-McDonald and kicking themselves that they weren't his parents. I don't know what's changed in the last six months but I wish it had happened sooner. Lizzie and I could've been happily married with our kids instead of this hell for the last decade." Edwin spat out, explaining the reason for the tense that had covered their home the last ten years.

"That's the reason why you guys have been fighting?" George asked, finally accepting what he was hearing.

"The Great Derek Venturi called it quits and so did I." Edwin stated his annoyance at his former idol clear in his voice.

"Meaning?" George inquired, needing to know all the facts of this story that had played out without him or his wife noticing.

"Meaning that if _Derek_ was afraid to admit he was in love with his step-sister, who was I to chance it? Then I got married and Derek wouldn't let up on how great the single life was. BA-ULL SHA-IT! I saw the way he looked at Casey; he was in hell, just like the rest of us." Edwin said the biggest mistake of his openly acknowledged for only the third time in his life.

"Why did you marry Bonnie?" George questioned, the mention of his son's wife making him curious of where she fit into all this.

"Business. Her dad's a high level executive at Pantec and Pantec is a client of Global Investments. Being his son-in-law allowed for me to have a reference that they would listen to. If I couldn't marry for love, I could for work." Edwin explained coldly, Global Investments' former star employee surfacing.

"That's psychotic." His father stated.

"That's me punishing myself for breaking the heart of the kindest woman I have ever known." Edwin stated right back.

"And what, no guilt over Bonnie? She's your wife, Edwin." George asked, the coldness of his son shocking him.

"Who was never faithful and had divorce papers drawn up and ready before we were even married. Her father threaten to break Pantec's contract with Global Investments if they hadn't fire me. No one's innocent here, Dad." Edwin again spat, explaining to his father how deep into hell his son had put himself.

"Well that explains your drinking." George observed, finally understanding why his son had spent years as a functioning alcoholic.

"Notice that, did you? Well, Derek was already doing the man-whore thing and I was through with trying to be him. You think he's stewed long enough?" Edwin asked, wanting this whole thing to be over with so he could go back home to his girlfriend.

"If you're right, yes." His father answered, still grasping for any answer than the one Edwin had presented him with.

"I'm right. What else could it be?" Edwin responded; challenging his father to come with something else that would have leaded them here.

"He might have found out Marti was gay." George suggested; the words hollow even as he said them.

"I doubt it. It barely registers to him that she's a famous photojournalist." Edwin countered, glad that they had moved away from sore subject of his past mistakes.

Shaking his head, George said, "Let's just go inside before Derek's too drunk to tell us what he wants advice with."

Heading inside, Edwin observed that his dad was nervous about what Derek would tell them. That was fair. Four of his kids were dating each other. One is getting a divorce because of it and another might be pregnant by a third. Just because two of them were his children by marriage didn't stop the fact that all of them had been his and Nora's for the last twenty years. Edwin almost pitied him, but his father and step-mom were smart people and should've seen this coming. Not wanting to see it didn't stop it from happening.

Edwin spotted his brother almost as quickly as Derek spotted them, but he was still able to see the tension ease from the older Venturi. Waiting is the hardest part after all and Edwin would know.

Derek covered his relief with a teasing comment, "You ladies carpool?"

Edwin counted with, "No, we met outside and were trying to figure out what you did that you would call both of us to a pub." Leaning closer, he took a sniff of his older brother then turned to his dad, "He's not drunk." From the corner of his eye, Edwin noticed a look of envy that passed through his brother's face. _Does he know?_

"Thank you. Edwin," was George's reply, hinting that he wanted to avoid the fighting that might start between the two. Turning to his older son he asked, "So what is the emergency?"

Derek singled for them to wait until the server returned with the beers. When he did, Derek almost yanked the bottles from him and sat them in front of each man at the table. Gesturing for them to grab their beers, he picked up the one he had been nursing. Then, as if it was a dark secret, he took a long gulp and said, "Casey's pregnant. It's mine."

The statement hung in the air as Edwin and their dad took it in. Now if anyone was jealous at the table, Edwin knew it was him. Lizzie and he had talked about having kids. They both wanted them but had decided that bringing a child into the mix before his divorce was finalized or they had revealed their relationship to their family wouldn't be a good idea. And here was Derek and Casey, after twenty plus years of denying their love for each other, had gone and got pregnant and _then_ tell their family they were dating; even if it was already obvious. It was stupid. It was blunt. It was pure Derek and Casey.

That last part struck him and he laughed at the absurdity of it all. His father must have had a similar thought because he quickly joined in. Derek's annoyed assertion that he wasn't joking almost caused them to roar even harder with laughter.

Finally catching his breath, George said to Edwin, "Well this is makes your news not so bad." This made it almost impossible for the younger Venturi to get control of himself as he realized that his father had also taken Edwin's on recent revelations less than thirty minutes prior. He was just barely able to nod to his father to tell Derek the punchline.

George shook his head, trying not to start laughing again himself. "Edwin is getting divorced. His wife found out he was having an affair with his best friend and served him papers the next day. Not to mention, her father was one of his biggest clients and threatened to drop his firm if Ed wasn't fired."

Derek just raised an eyebrow, "You're gay and lost your job?"

 _Well that answers if he knows about Marti_ , Edwin thought as he and his dad once again bursting into laughter for a little longer before eventually quieting down. Inhaling much needed air, he explained, "I'm not gay, Derek. I just finally got the nerve up to admit who was the real love of my life. _She's_ a lovely woman and we're getting married once I get this divorce over with. Until then, I've staying at her place and helping her organization with the lawsuits they're leveling against my former clients."

Edwin saw a confused look play across Derek's eyes as he leaned back and began taking a drink from his bottle which then widened as Edwin's words finally sank in. Nearly spraying them with beer, Derek shouted, "You and the Lizzard?! No wonder Marti thought you guys would understand."

 _Marti knows? It's not that surprising, she is a skilled journalist. I wonder if she knew when she asked about Winnipeg._ Edwin thought. He was going to reflect on this when he heard Derek ask a question he hadn't thought of, "You seem pretty calm, what's yours and Nora's take on this?" _And once again without trying Derek's showing how he's perfect without trying._

Edwin turned his gaze and watched his father, like his brother, wanting to know the answer. George lowered his bottle to the table, shaking his head. "We talked about this a few times when you were younger. Don't think we didn't notice the tension between both pairs of you. There were a few times that we expected you to tell us that you had eloped or gotten one or both of them pregnant, but there was nothing. So you finally acting on it when we're about to retire and sending a sixth kid through college is surprising but not something we hadn't see coming. We'll have to convince Robbie that we're not going to appear in some reality show about crazy families, but otherwise everything is fine."

Turning back to Derek, Edwin caught his older brother nodding his head in stunned agreement. Their dad was right, the evidence of what was going on between the McDonald girls and Venturi boys had always been as clear as day to anyone looking. That Nora and him had been open-minded enough to allow their children to come to terms with their feelings for each other showed the love that all of them grown up in.

A look of mischief inspiration appeared in Derek's eye as he leaned towards him brother and asked, "So with that out of the way, I have a question for you Edweirdo." Intrigued, the other Venturis leaned forward to hear his proposal, "Given your resent loss of fortune, wouldn't it best to go half with someone on the expanses and do a double wedding?"

This caused all three men to crack up as the idea sank in. Able to catch his breath at last, Derek raised his bottle and offered a toast, "To the McDonald women, for waiting a lifetime for us to catch up."

Edwin and George clanked their beers in agreement. "Here, here." Edwin looked at Derek from across the table and mentally cursed, _Dammit, I'm trying to not look up to you and what do you do? Not only be understanding, but offer to share your and Casey's joy._ A thin quick smirk flashed as he thought, _and have a way to split the check. Betty and I could probably cover the whole thing, but you don't need to know that._

Putting down his beer, Derek reached for his wallet. Edwin and his dad just waved him off. George saying, "You need to save your money for the ring and diapers."

Edwin adding in, "Knowing Casey, you're going to be buying a lot of tofu."Hiding his smile from the others and holding back the urge to smirk as he didn't want to let them know that he knew about the ring and the storage unit. Let Derek keep his secrets, Edwin was exposing enough truths as it was.

Standing up, Derek just grabbed his coat and let out another laugh, "Now if you excuse me, I have to see her royal highness." Edwin could tell there was a joke there, but again let it go.

Watching his oldest leave, George turned to Edwin and asked, "Should we tell the ladies or let Casey do it?"

As if on cue, Edwin's phone vibrated. Checking he saw a text from Lizzie: _Fnd out wht he wntd?_

Flashing a smirk to his father as he pulled out a few bills from his wallet, Edwin answered him, "Definitively tell them." After placing the money on the table, he texted back: _His bun in Casey's oven. Offered a double wedding._

Moment later his phone rang, before he could speak, Lizzie said, "You told him?!" The surprise of Edwin telling after all this time mixed with the annoyance of him doing so without her.

Edwin waved goodbye to his dad as he walked back to the car, "No, I told Dad. Derek figured it out. Nearly covered Dad and me with beer and spit when he did," explaining the events that had happened barely five minutes ago.

"Does Casey know? And what do you mean you told George?" His better half asked, needing to know what had been said.

"Not yet, but he is on his way to talk to her now. I did show up in your car, Betty, Dad's not stupid, he asked questions. Turns out Nora and him have always known about the four of us. But you're kind of missing the bigger picture here. Our parents know about us and are okay with it. And after twenty years, Derek and Casey finally stopped the foreplay and are getting serious." Edwin summing up the main points.

"Except you haven't told your dad you lost your job... Wait. Did you tell George you lost your job?" Lizzie's voice starting with strict criticism only to turn to confused wonder at the end.

"Yes. I told him everything. Like I said to him, I'm not Derek; I don't lie to myself anymore. Remember who had to get us back together." Edwin answered, ending his response with a tease.

"I remember a foolish bastard that broke my heart then came up with the most convoluted way to come crawling back." Lizzie teased right back, barely hints of the pain she had felt at his act of cowardice all those years ago.

Laughing, Edwin conceded, "Yeah that was dumb of me, but admit it: You enjoyed making Pantec sweat."

"True. Now get back here so you can make me sweat." Lizzie answered, her voice sliding into her bedroom voice.

"Yes boss." Edwin answered as he started the car.


	5. Precious Commodities Part 1

_Sorry for the long delay but here is the next part of The Favor. This one kind of got away from me, so I'm breaking it down to smaller chewable chunks. Enjoy and have a nice day._

While there had been times over those twenty years where Casey and Derek could or rather should have done something, these are ten points in Edwin's life when things changed, both for the better and, to his regret, the worse.

Flashback #1:

Derek and Casey were fighting in the kitchen about them going to the same college. _Just kiss already, we could use the peace_ , Edwin thought as he watched their exchange from the staircase.

Turning to his partner in crime, Lizzie, he found her deep in thought. After a few seconds, she turned to Edwin and said, "Come on, we need to talk."

"About what?" He had asked, not sure how their siblings fighting related to what Lizzie had decided to discuss with him.

"About not being them," Lizzie answered with annoyed look down the stairs.

Edwin had expected them to head to the game closet, their usual meeting spot, but instead Lizzie had checked to see if Marti was asleep before heading to her own room. "Sit," was all she said as she gestured to her bed.

"I'm not a ..." He was about to counter when he caught the McDonald Glare she was giving him. _Do they practice that when nobody's around?_ He thought as he did as she said. Then tried not to laugh as Lizzie started to pace in the room in a spot-on impersonation of Casey, right after saying she didn't want to be like her.

Stopping suddenly, Lizzie stared Edwin in the eye and asked _the_ question, "Do you like me?"

Edwin had wanted to spare her feelings, so he had answered, "Of course, you're my best friend. Why would you even ask?"

Lizzie walked over to him, took his face into her hands, and leaned in real close. _Too_ close. He could smell the blissful mix of books and organic products. He loved that aroma. _What is she doing?_

"No, Edwin, do you like me as a woman?" She leaned forward and slowly kissed him on the lips. It was awkward, she had nearly kissed his nose instead and even then, he could tell she didn't know what to do with her tongue.

To be fair, neither do did he. At least she had thought of what to do with her hands, as he first grabbed the bed sheets in surprise before letting go and trying to figure out where to place them on her. _Not the chest! Not the butt! Hair? Nope! I might get my fingers tangled. Shoulders! Shoulders are okay, right?_ He must have looked like one of those old cartoons with his hands flaying about.

Lizzie pulled away, only to bump her head against his before pressing her forehead against his and looking him right in the eye, "Because I like you as a man."

Edwin had tried to be reasonable, "I want to, but we can't."

He was glad he was holding her shoulders as he could feel her getting ready to hit him. As it was, he saw the hurt and anger in her eyes, "They won't. We can't. But Mom and George can. Where's the fairness in that?"

"People would talk," was Edwin's halfhearted answer.

"Let them. There's nothing wrong with this. I like you. You like me. Why can't we try?" Lizzie pressed him even as she yanked herself free of him.

"What if we're caught? I don't want to lose you." As he spoke, his hand reached up and cupped her face.

Lizzie lifted his hand away and held it between hers, "Then we don't get caught. I can't go another day knowing that we didn't do everything we could. We're not Derek and Casey, we can make this work."

Edwin gazed into her eyes. _She's not going to let this go._ Letting out a sigh, he began, "If we're going to do this, we're going to have to be careful. Until we're out of the house, at least. After that we can decide if we tell. If there's anything to tell." _By then, hopefully Derek and Casey would have got their shit together and we'll know what to expect._

"Four years?! You want to wait four more years?" Lizzie questioned as she walked around her room in frustration.

"No, I want to keep this between us until know what _this_ is. If it's serious, then we tell everyone when there's nothing they can do to stop us. Until then, we plan and we practice." Edwin answered, an idea already forming in his mind as he stood up and followed her.

"Practice? Practice what?" Lizzie asked, stopping to look at him.

"Lying to everyone we know. Holding hands. Being a couple." When his own version of the Venturi smirk crossed his lips, he added, "kissing", and leaned down for another; only to ruin it and prove his point by head butting Lizzie then kissing her nose.

Lizzie laughed and rubbed her forehead, "Yeah, 'we' need practice. And a plan, but let's get back to practicing for now", and leaned forward for a longer embrace.

They didn't plan much that night, but they did get in a little more practice. Getting good enough to stop butting heads and kissing noses, but they were still learning where to put their hands without it getting awkward.

Flashback #2:

So, he was a big brother again and this time he some idea on what to do. Strangely even with Lizzie also being a new big sister, it hadn't affected their relationship. They had been in school when Nora had gone into labor so they had to wait for his dad to pick them up. That worked as it gave them time between the text alerts and his dad pulling up to talk.

Finding their favorite spot overlooking the parking lot, Edwin flopped on the snowy ground and gave a teasing smirk to Lizzie, who was annoyingly going through a prissy girl phase, was trying to sit down without getting her pants wet. "Sit Casey, before Dad gets here and ruins a perfect moment."

Lizzie just glared at him and plopped down by his head, sending snow into Edwin's face, "Don't press your luck Venturi, I'm still mad about Eric."

Sitting up quickly, Edwin glared right back, "Why? He's a jerk whose idea of asking a girl out is groping her in public."

"ED-WIN!" Lizzie screeched. She quickly caught herself and lowered her voice, "Edwin, we can't give people any reason to get suspicious. And rigging the Junior quarterback's locker to explode with goo might make them suspicious."

"We're not _Them_. We started as friends. So, when Jerkic grabbed you, I reacted as I would as a friend. And you can't talk, _you're_ the one who judo flipped him and almost broke his arm. If Dad hadn't gotten involved, you could have gotten suspended or expelled." He then lunged at Lizzie, pinning her to the ground and shook his head, sending the snow all over her coat, "So cool off."

His laughter was cut short as he was flung through the air, landing a few feet away from where he had started. Lizzie leaned down and looked him straight in the eye, "I was well in my rights, Venturi. Don't treat me like a child." Cupping his face her voice softened and she added, "But you're right, you would have done that even if we weren't dating. You okay? Things are going to be complicated now."

"You mean that you can't sneak into my bedroom anymore?" Edwin joked. Seeing the dirty look that Lizzie was giving him, he cleared his throat, "Um, okay, yes it's weird that we share a brother, but we knew this the night we kissed. If you want to stop, we can stop. But I don't want to."

"Good, because neither do I." Lizzie leaned forward and smooched the snowball into his face. Then she hopped up and ran to the car, "Hi George."

Edwin ran past her and jumped in the front seat, teasing, "Nice try McDonald."

She answered by dropping another snowball down his shirt, "Cool it Venturi."

His dad just pinched the bridge of his nose as the car moved forward, "Can you guys please behave? We still have to deal with Derek and Casey during all this too."

A chill went down Edwin's spine and it wasn't because of the snow. _Did it finally happen?_

No, it hadn't. What had happened was the Derek and Casey had somehow managed to get each other kicked out of their respective fraternity/sorority. Or maybe they had quit, it's not clear. But whatever the reason, they were now living in an apartment near campus, and neither was happy about being under the same roof again. _Or so they claim,_ thought Edwin upon hearing this.

The three of them pulled into hospital parking lot just in time to see Casey slip on some snow and get 'accidently' saved by Derek. "Watch it, Klutzilla. We're supposed to be here as visitors, not patients."

Casey shoved him away, nearly slipping again, only to catch herself on a nearby car, "You should talk Derek, how many traffic laws did you break getting us here?"

"If I had let you drive, we won't have got here until Robbie was three. And I know exactly which laws I _bent_ because you screamed at me each time I did it." Derek answered right back.

He looked like he was about to say more when George honked the horn and stepped out of car, "Can you two stop fighting long enough for them to let us in?"

At this, Lizzie leaned forward and whispered to Edwin, "Only if they start sucking face." Which caused him to snicker silently.

George tried to separate the pair by having Edwin and Lizzie walk with their respective sibling, but Derek just throw an arm over Casey and walked ahead of them, "We're in college, Dad, we don't need to be babysat by the Lizzard and Eweirdo."

Lizzie was about to say something when Edwin and her heard Casey whisper, "Behave Venturi, if you want me to cook dinner for you ever again. And, um," her voice lowered even more that the three of them barely heard her, "thanks for catching me."

Derek just whispered right back, "Always will Case."

Edwin and Lizzie shared a look, then checked and saw George was too busy talking to the people at the front desk to have noticed this exchange between his oldest son and step-daughter. _Maybe it had happened._

When they reached the maternity ward, Edwin tried to get the story from him only for Derek turned it around and asked him about following in his footsteps and dating most of the girls in his class. That wasn't even close to true, but that was the cover that Lizzie and he come up with. Over the summer, they had compiled a list of classmates that had parents that would disapprove of their lifestyle choices or had a habit of dating the 'bad boys'. Then they approached them discreetly and made their offer: For the cost of $20 per date, they would pretend to go out with them to not raise suspicion.

It was risky, but Lizzie and he were careful. They only approached classmates of little or no danger and never together. They also made sure they had their story straight before they went out and exchanged numbers in case something happened. This had netted them a nice bundle of cash that they used on their own dates and Edwin was thinking about investing the money into a few stocks for use in case of emergencies. The only drawbacks had been rumors of Lizzie being 'very friendly' and Eric Johnson trying to see how friendly.

Edwin played it cool and was luckily saved by Marti and Ralph walking out of the waiting room. _Never thought I would be glad that Ralph took this year off to find himself._

Flashback #3:

Robbie was about two and Lizzie and he were doing even better. As they lay in bed, they talked about their day. Nothing big had happened yet, they had found out early on that they couldn't fall asleep without the other one near. So, after everyone had gone to sleep, they would take turns sneaking into each other's room and talk until they were too tired to continue. Early the next morning, the 'guest' would sneak back to their own room and make their bed look slept in. There had been a couple of close calls, but luckily no one had caught them yet.

Edwin was the one who brought up the subject of the idiots (Derek and Casey), having found out something big that day, "Why do they pretend to hate each other? I mean everyone knows they're in love, why the act?"

Lizzie put down the textbook she was reading and scowled at him, "Why are you bringing them up? We were having a lovely night."

 _Because my brother just bought an engagement ring with the money he had me invest for him,_ Edwin thought. However, what he said was, "Just thinking out loud, Betty," his pet name for her.

Annoyed, Lizzie lowered her hand under Edwin's shirt and started counting his ribs, something she knew he found tickles. "Those idiots aren't going to change, so how about you focus on something you can, like your calculus grade."

Pulling her hand away, Edwin countered, "My calculus grade is just fine." He climbed on top or his girlfriend and started tickling her, "I only did badly on the last test because _you_ felt frisky the night before and didn't let me get any sleep."

Okay maybe a few semi-big things had happened between them: There were them trading 'I love you's on their six-month anniversary. And they had moved past kissing and heavy petting to 'not quite sex' part of their relationship. They had agreed that actually having sex under their parents' roof was just a little too risky right now.

Between fits of giggles, Lizzie issued her challenge, "Prove it, Venturi."

Pinning her arms over her head, Edwin kissed Betty, "Math is just counting with shortcuts." Kissing her quickly again on the lips, he counted them, "One. Two." Kissing her neck, he continued, "Three." Freeing one of his hands, Edwin pulled the t-shirt of his that she was wearing as a nightie aside so that he could get to the crook of her neck, "Six." Sticking his head underneath the t-shirt nightie, he kisses the space between her breast, "Twelve." Kissing her stomach, he continued, "Twenty-Four."

Lower his farther down, he worked on 'counting' to a thousand and got the expected response from Lizzie, "Oh, Winnie," her pet name for him.

 _Maybe she's right_ , thought Edwin thought as they drifted off to sleep later that night. _Let Derek and Casey play their game, Lizzie and I don't have their drama and don't want it._ The only thing he couldn't shake was: _if they don't come out to the family soon, me and Lizzie won't know what to expect when we do._


	6. Precious Commodities Part 2

_Okay here's the next part of Precious Commodities, where LizWin is damaged by Edwin's fears and Derek's inactions. As always be polite but honest with your opinions._

Flashback #4:

They were finally out of the house. Lizzie and he had surprised their family by revealing that they had saved up money from their business, which they didn't tell them in what, to invest it and had enough to pay for their own apartment. They didn't announce, to Lizzie's annoyance, that they were dating. Edwin had argued successfully that tell Nora and his dad that they were together at the same time they were moving out and into a place of their own might make it difficult for them to return home. It was better to slowly bring it up, to get them used to the idea that they were responsible adults and knew what they were doing before dropping the bomb that they were a couple.

Lizzie had simple agreed, only adding with bitterness, "We're not _them_ Winnie, stop comparing us." Them of course being Derek and Casey, who after four years of 'suffering' being roommates had gone their separate ways, Casey to medical school and Derek, to the surprise of most, went on to become a teacher at Thompson High.

Derek and he had nearly come to blows because of that. The older Venturi had teased him on how having a McDonald as a roommate makes it nearly impossible to have dates over, him knowing from experience. Edwin had counter that the problem had been Derek seeking out women when the right one for him was just in reach if he was brave enough to risk it. When Derek had played dumb, he had shoved him and called him a liar. If Lizzie had told him to back down, he would have hit his former idol.

As it was Edwin couldn't resist a parting shot, "Betty's right, you're both idiots."

"Derek, no," had been Casey's response as Edwin, who had turned to walk off with Lizzie, turned back to see his older brother paused in mid swing, looking at the older McDonald in confusion.

Edwin just chuckled and said, "Yeah, you hate each other. Come on Lizzie, we still need to load the car."

Now in their new home, Lizzie gave him something else to think of by pushing onto the couch and kissing him, "No Mom." Kiss. "No George." Kiss. "No Marti." Kiss. "No Robbie." Kissing him deeply as she pulled his shirt off, she purred, "No more excuses."

 _What? OH!_ "NOW!?" He asked.

"Or never, Venturi," she answered, taking off her own shirt.

What followed was their usual give and take of foreplay but instead of being the end, it merely wetted their appetite to press on. The shift from well-practiced to the new was similar to their previous times, hair was accidently pulled, noses and foreheads were bumped, and the experience was shorter than either of them wanted. As with prior hiccups, they just kept on going; besides they finally had the time and they weren't going to waste.

Flashback #5:

He folded. The private detective that he had occasionally hired to check in on Derek had reported to Edwin that the older Venturi had rented a small storage unit and the only item he placed in it was a small black box. If Derek Venturi, the former hockey god, the ladies' man, the clever trickster, couldn't find a way to be with the woman he loved, what chance did Edwin and Lizzie have?

The timing was good enough, if there was such a thing. Taking his half of their savings he found a new apartment and started asking around who went to Kingston and has a connected to any of the big investment firms. Now he only had to let her go, if he could.

Lizzie came home to find a moving van outside and Edwin waiting for her in the living room. "Winnie, what's going on?"

"I'm moving, Lizzie."

"Moving? Where are we moving?" She asked, slightly shaken that he used her 'family name' instead of Betty, which had become the norm between them in the last year and a half.

Going for a kiss, Betty was surprised that Winnie stopped her, "We can't Lizzie. We have to think about our family. We have to think about the future. We have to think about each other."

Betty's eyes narrowed and she quietly, tensely said, "Derek. What happened?"

"Lizzie," he tried.

"WHAT DID YOUR DAMN GOD DO?!" Betty screamed.

"Nothing," he whispered.

"WHAT?!" Betty roared.

"Nothing. He hasn't done a thing, that's the problem." He explained.

"YOU FOOLISH BASTARD! That's why you kept pushing him to settle down. If Derek hasn't done it, you won't risk it. That's why you refuse to tell our family about us, you were waiting for _them_ to get together so you would know how everyone would react to us. Fine, _Edwin_ , run away, but don't kid yourself, you're not doing this for _us_." Betty ranted.

"Lizzie..."

"No. Get out. If I see you before Summer break, you'll see how much I held back with Eric. Now leave." The McDonald Glare that he used to tease her about proved the validity of her threat.

Shaken by her anger, Edwin just quietly picked up his backpack and walked out, placing his keys on the table as he left. Pausing outside the door, he heard the faint saps of the only woman who could make him happy. _Lizzie's right, I'm a bastard._

After unloading his stuff, Edwin headed to a bar. He was never one to drink, but he needed something to help him; his usual method unlikely to speak to him for some time. He didn't seek companionship, in any form, as the deeper he crawled into the bottles, the more each woman reminded him of Lizzie. Besides, it might hurt the next part of his plan.

The next day, as sober as he every hoped to be again, Edwin approached Bonnie and asked her out. He wasn't interested in her, but her father. Her father was an executive at Pantec and Pantec was a client for Global Investment. If he couldn't have Lizzie, then he would have the best place he could find to do what he was good at. Also, over the week, his friends called and asked what was going on. Edwin just responded by asking them to look after Lizzie and to never talk to him again.

Bonnie had turned him down, but as he expected, 'she' changed her mind and invited him over to meet her father. One he was alone with the man, the game began. Pouring both glasses of whiskey, Glenn sat behind his desk and narrowed his eyes at the young Venturi, "You arranged this meeting, what do you want?"

Sipping the strong liquor, Edwin laid out his request, "An internship at Global Investment. A guaranteed job after graduation."

"And exchange, I get someone to act in my interest. Someone presentable as a suitable husband for my daughter. Someone who can give me an heir."

"I will not be sleeping with Bonnie."

"Oh yes, I heard you preferred someone closer to home. And what of your sister being an econut?"

"One can't choose their family, but I have since come to my senses about her rather extreme views. As for my personal taste, you will find what I'm known as a heartbreaker, never seen with the same woman twice, except for my sister Lizzie, who until last week had been my roommate."

"So, your reason for refusing to give me an heir?"

"A desire to stay healthy."

"What exactly are you implying?"

"Only that Bonnie is a very popular girl who visits her doctor enough to make one ask questions. To be clear, I would claim any child as my own and would discourage any rumors that say otherwise. Do we have a deal or do I see if any of your rivals have relatives around my age?"

Sipping from his glass, Glenn stared Edwin down, finally asking, "Do you play chess?"

"Only when I can't find someone to play Go with."

This caused Glenn to laugh, "Oh you will do very well. I will talk to Bonnie and have my lawyer draw up a contract."

Flashback #6:

That Summer was a preview for what his life would be like for the next six years. He drove his new company car to the family reunion, he didn't know what to expect. Lucky for him, he was invited to spent most of his break with Bonnie's family. So, he only had to survive a few days.

Pulling into the driveway, Edwin was annoyed to find that he was the second to arrive and Derek, perfect Derek, was waiting for him, "Edweirdo, got a sec?"

"What Derek?" He responded as he pulled his briefcase and suitcase out of the trunk.

Derek just gestured to the car and the new look Edwin had taken to match his new life. "Nice car, not so nice suit. What happened?"

Trying to push past the older Venturi, he found it blocked by the man. "No, seriously Edwin, what's going on?"

"I made a choice to better my life, Derek. Now move out of the way."

Waving his hand in front of his face, Derek whistled, "Woo! Does this better life involve smelling like a brewery?"

Dropping his luggage, Edwin swung around on his older brother, "Now you care? Where was the protective big brother when we were growing up? Because all I remember was an asshole who ordered me around and sucked the fun out of everything I love."

"Okay, I admit I was a jerk, but you can't deny I was there for you when you needed me."

Edwin tightened his fist and swung it into Derek's face, "Bullshit."

The hit took Derek by surprise and he fell to the ground. Checking his nose, he gave Edwin a cold stare but his expression softened and he laughed, "Okay, maybe I deserved that. Let's head inside and hash this out over a beer."

Shaking his hand in pain, Edwin grimaced: _Of course, he's still fit. He probably joined an amateur hockey team._ Now with an outlet for his anger and Derek being one of the reasons he kept going, he lifted his brother up and shoved him towards the side of the house. "No Derek, you don't get to laugh this off. You've had this coming for a long time."

Derek caught himself and elbowed Edwin, "Ed, calm down. We can talk about this."

The blow connected and Edwin fell backwards. He was about to get back up when their father came out of the house, "What the hell is going on?"

Trying to stop his bleeding nose, Derek answered, "I tried talking to Edwin and he attacked me."

Turning to his younger son, he asked, "Ed?"

Dusting himself off, he answered, "Derek thought he could try for Brother of the Year after treating me like shit all this time." Turning to said brother, he spat, "Get your own shit together before you butt into other people's lives."

Deciding to forget his nose for now, Derek again tried to talk to his brother. This time with their father between them, "What happened Ed? You were annoyingly happy in December. Going on about how Betty was the love of your life and how I should be so lucky."

"Bonnie." Edwin corrected.

"Excuse me?" Derek asked as he shared a confused look with his dad.

"Bonnie, my fiancé's name is Bonnie." Edwin explained.

It was clear that Derek and their dad were going to say something when Lizzie, walking up, took the words right out of their mouth, "Fiancé? What woman was desperate enough to agree to marry you?"

Edwin suddenly felt like when he had broken the lamp and let Derek take the fall for it. He looked to the ground and stuttered out, "Yes, Bonnie. Her dad is one the clients for the firm I'm interning for. I'm spending the summer with her family after I catch up here."

"So, this is just a pit stop before you go onto bigger and better things?" Lizzie taunted.

Edwin could see the hurt in her eyes. The last time they had spoken to each other, he had dumped her. Then he had avoided her and their friends to make a better impression on Bonnie's father and his colleagues. So, this was the first time they had been in the same room and she was finding out he was marrying another woman. _She's still right, I'm a bastard._

"Lizzie, that's a little harsh," his dad responded.

"Not really, George. Edwin here moved out a few months ago, and left me scrambling to find a new roommate. I haven't even seen him since Winnie dumped me."

"Some better life you're getting Ed, abandoning your best friend, looking like you escaped from the set of Wall Street. Did I miss anything?" Derek spoke up, again from behind their dad.

"Leave this to us Derek, you're done enough already." Lizzie hissed as she headed into the house.

Derek throw up his hands in defense of their dad's questioning stare, "I don't know what they're talking about. I've been in London for the last year. I haven't even talked to Ed since New Year's."

Edwin grabbed his luggage and followed Lizzie in. Showing that they were still like-minded enough, they turned to Derek and answered, "Nothing, Derek. That's what you did."

But when they looked at each other that link was broken as Lizzie just gave her former boyfriend an icy stare and the small smile that he had had faded. _This is going to be a long three days._

It got even longer when Casey showed up. Having flown in, she had taken a taxi and walked into the house to find a tense standoff. Edwin had started drinking once he had put his stuff into his room. Derek was trying to figure out what had happened with his dad and Nora. Lizzie had stayed in her room claiming to have paralegal work to do. Lucky Robbie was at day camp and Marti was with friends.

Taking in the whole sight, Casey was about to ask what was going on, when she saw Derek's broken nose with tissue stuffed in them. She dropped her bags and ran halfway towards her 'rival', "DER-EK! What happened?"

Edwin glanced at her around the bottle he had started downing. _Please_ , he thought, _get together after I sold mine and Lizzie's happiness._

But instead Casey had caught herself and teased, "Did you not listen when your date said no?"

Derek just smiled and said, "At least I can get a date. You had to go into medicine just to get a guy to let you touch him."

Casey smiled back, "Jerk."

"Keener," he answered.

"Just get a room already," said Lizzie from the stairs.

"What?" asked the older Venturi and McDonald pairs.

Lizzie just rolled her eyes and headed back upstairs, "Forget it. What was I thinking, you're idiots."

Casey watched her sister leave, then turned to them and again asked, "Okay what's going on?"

Derek just glanced at Edwin then upstairs, "I honestly don't know." Hiking a thumb towards Edwin, he stated, "But Edwin's getting married to _Bonnie_ , and," lowering his voice, he finished, "Winnie broke up with Lizzie."

Any hope he had of being discreet was lost when Casey boomed, "Oh that poor girl," and went to console her sister.

Only to be stopped by Derek grabbing her hand, "Let Nora take care of it, Lizzie seems a little pissed at us."

"Why?" Casey asked.

Edwin answered from the kitchen with a slam of the fridge door, "Because, like Lizzie said, 'you're idiots.'" Using the bottle, he pointed at their holding hands. The pair just let go and tried to look confused.

And that set the tone for the next few days. Lizzie or Edwin would imply something was going on between Derek and Casey. They would react in confusion, and then the accuser would insult them before storming off. Dad and Nora didn't notice because they were distracted taking care of Robbie or interrogating Lizzie and/or Edwin about was going on. His dad may have been a lawyer, but the former couple had spent the last six years lying with straight faces. Their parents got nothing from them.

The best example of this new hell happened the first night. Slightly drunk, he went to take a piss, only to find Casey and Derek in the bathroom. She was looking at Edwin's handiwork. "Remind me again why you're not going to the ER?"

Wincing from the pain, Derek explained, "If I go, they'll ask questions. There'll be a record and the school district will want me to file a report with the police. I doubt the Edwin's future father-in-law would like him being arrested for assault."

Pushing the door open, Edwin corrected him, "Don't try to do me any favors, but you can leave so I can pee."

Casey yelped and Derek just got up and led her out, noting, "We're family, Edwin, we look out for each other."

Edwin had just coldly responded, "Keep telling yourself that," nodded at the hand his older brother had placed on their step-sister's hip, then closed the door and went about his business.

But even through the closed door, he could hear the not-a-couple continue, "It should be fine, just put some ice on it."

"Thanks again Case, I owe you one." Then after a long pause, Derek asked, "Was I that big of an asshole growing up?"

Another pause, Edwin could just imagine Casey looking at the bathroom door. Then, "You had your moments, but I don't know what's their problem with you is."

 _Yeah,_ thought Edwin as he flushed and washed his hands, _neither of you realize how badly I fucked up._

Confused he looked at the mirror and corrected himself, _"they fucked up."_ But even as he thought the words, Edwin couldn't shake the image of the smiling couple he hid on his phone.

Event #7

So now he was committed. The vows were said. The rings exchanged. The prenup signed. And now with his wife and father-in-law playing hostess and host to the wedding guests, he was going to be a drunken married man.

Watching the crowd as he sipped the vodka martini, Edwin realized that he barely knew anyone here. There were people from work, a few business connections of Glen's, his parents, Marti, Nora, Robbie, and, of course, Punch and Judy. Lizzie had refused an invite; not that Edwin blamed her, most of the crowd seemed to ooze everything that they hated about big corporations, with smug smiles and a sense that they would trade anything for just a few more zeroes on that next bonus. If he wasn't the groom, he would instead be checking out his new corner office; doing paperwork, getting to know his staff, including this angel of a woman that reminded him of Radar from MASH. She always seemed to have what he needed before he did. But he couldn't, so here he was.

He took a moment to study each member of his family. Dad and Nora were enjoying themselves dancing and flirting with each other. After eleven years, marriage hadn't lost the shine to them. Hell, if anything, they seemed to be deeper in love than when Edwin had been in high school. His mom seemed to be getting along well with Bonnie, who was just soaking up the attention they had been getting over the last couple of months. His father-in-law Glenn was laughing with a few of Global Investment's bigwigs. _Was that the CEO?_

Robbie led a group of kids in a mad dash across the event hall. He really was the perfect blend of the Venturi-McDonald union with the former's boldness and the latter's sanity. _Too bad I'll never have a kid like him._

Edwin had to smirk as he saw a waitress tap Marti's phone discreetly as they traded numbers. The youngest Venturi had made a name for herself at the ripe age of 18, having become a social media star with her honest, if biting, news reports and opinion pieces. She had earned a full scholarship and Edwin expected their father would have his hands full when Marti graduated college and the job offers came flooding in.

Then there was his clueless big brother and equally clueless step-sister. The two had arrived alone; Casey stating she couldn't find a date and Derek saying he would leave with one. They had nearly caused a scene at the wedding with him tripping her as they walked down the aisle. Repayment for the itching powder she had somehow slipped into his boxers. _Twist the knife further,_ Edwin thought as watched them dance across the room, _get together on today of all days._

The groom remembered the conversion he had had with his brother earlier that day. "Why are you doing this Ed? The woman makes Kendra seem altruistic. And where's Lizzie, your best friend? She should be your best man, not me."

Edwin had chosen to be honest, if a little vague. Looking him straight in eye, he said, "Because I love her. Because if I do this, it might make her able to do more than she thought she could." Which was true, he did love Lizzie and he really believed that if she was to accept the true that he had become this heartless; to marry someone just to get ahead, she would stop pinning for him and focus all her energy on becoming the best legal activist he knew she could be. And maybe, just maybe, she could find someone who would be there for her.

Throwing his hands up, Derek had just sighed, "Okay, I believe you. I don't understand what potential you see in that Paris Hilton wannabe; but go, she's out there waiting for you."

Edwin slipped on his coat, checked himself in the mirror, and said, "I know, that's why I have to do this."

Derek just nodded and went out the door, Edwin noticing that Casey was waiting for him. So again, he heard them talking through the door.

"So?" She asked.

"He loves her."

"NO. … Really?"

"I saw the look in his eye, Case. It's the same one Dad has when talking about Nora; the same one I see when I look in the mirror and think of you... Yuri's Friday Special. He loves her."

"DER-EK! Be serious." Casey shrieked.

"I am being serious; Yuri's sandwiches are to die for. And I'm serious when I say that Ed is doing this out of love. I don't get it, but I know it's true."

There was a pause then Casey took a deep breath and asked, "Would you ever get married?"

"And give up the single life?" Derek teased, only to follow up with, as Edwin imagined him receiving the patented McDonald Glare, "Calm down, Case. Honestly, I missed my chance and let her walk away."

"D, I'm sure Emily would say yes if you asked her." Casey offered in comfort.

Derek gave a sad laugh and said, "She's happy with Ralph, believe me, I never thought I would say that, but it's true. No, the would-be Mrs. Derek Venturi escaped without me even telling her I loved her."

"If not Emily then who..." Casey began.

"Someone I knew in college, okay?" Derek cut in. "I had my chance and I let it slip through my fingers," he bitterly explained. "Now can we get into position so that Ed doesn't miss his?"

Reaching into his pocket, Edwin pulled out his phone and brought up the picture of Lizzie she didn't know he had taken at the last family get together. _Remember Betty, I'm a bastard. Please hate me. Hate me as much as I hate myself._


	7. Precious Commodities Part 3

_So I tried to break this down to smaller parts and the last one is still larger than the first two together. Oh, well. As always, please be honest but polite with your reviews._

Event #8

With just one casual check, Edwin's world came crashing down. Winnipeg, freaking Winnipeg. It was where Lizzie and he had talked about visiting for their own private Summer break. It was where Pantec had a factory. It was also where Marti had heard rumors of something going on. And it was where he had just found out the illegal dumping that was going on. Six years in a sham of a relationship, and now, now the price was hitting him.

A lot happened in those years. Nora's décor business was booming after Marti had had her do her new Toronto apartment last year. Booming enough that she's starting a new branch and been bouncing between there and London. His dad had taken this as a sign and had tried to quit only for his firm to counter with the offer of making him a junior partner and the annexing of a firm near Toronto. Instead, thanks to both the older Venturi's own and the Lizard's legal mastery, the firm was forced to agree to a trail period after which his dad could leave with a full pension. _The Lizard. I can't believe that's the name she earned for herself._ Now most of the family was again living in the same metro.

It had started slowly. Two years after Edwin had gotten married, Casey had announced she had received a job offer from a research hospital and would be moving to the city. Derek had made his usual jokes about her moving to find more men to scare off. She had tensely responded that she had already chased off Mister Right and was just trying to enjoy her work. Edwin had thought, _I can relate,_ and had looked at the empty chair that Lizzie normally sat in. She had been off with her new organization Green Conscience.

Two years after that, Derek, claiming to need to spread his wings, had also moved to Toronto. Edwin suspected that nearing thirty and watching your ex-girlfriend marry and have kids one of your best friends had made the bings of longing the older Venturi felt for Casey even stronger. But he was too much of a coward to do anything besides following her. No confession of love, just smiling when Casey had corrected him by saying that it wasn't his wings he was trying to spread. Again, Edwin had looked at the missing Lizzie and sipped from his beer. _Yeah, we're all idiots._

That was two years ago, now with Robbie seeming to be following in his siblings footsteps and becoming a popular force at his middle school, both scholastically and athletically, Marti being a famous photojournalist, Casey a well-respected and published cardio-surgeon, Derek a beloved teacher, coach, and charity worker, Nora and his dad hard work paying off and Lizzie... Lizzie becoming Elizabeth, The Lizard, McDonald the most feared legal advocate for renewable resources, smaller carbon footprints, and corporate accountability, the Venturi-McDonald clan seemed happy. Some of them might even believe it but there wasn't a family dinner that didn't end with Edwin or Derek having a busted lip or Lizzie making a cutting remark to Casey or Derek, either about the former's lack of boyfriend or that the latter seemed to have a new woman each week.

And then there was Edwin himself. On paper, he seemed the best of them, former wonder kid of investments until they found out he was a brilliant negotiator and made them their PR problem solver. He had spent years calming nervous clients, killing or spinning stories that might hurt the firm's image, having even gone head to head with Marti a few times. It was because of their history that she had asked him about the tip she just received. He had dismissed it as rumor, but soon after had excused himself to check it out.

It didn't surprise him that Pantec would do something like this, having long ago taken the same 'just let me get to work' attitude he has when walking in on Bonnie and her latest boy toy to their moral actions, but this hurt on a personal level, having to do with something Lizzie loves. Edwin just turned off his interface and stared out the window. A wife who regularly cheats on him, a job he was starting to hate, a functioning alcoholism that will kill him one day. _I traded a warm bed with the love of my life for this shit? All because I was afraid of how people would react? Betty is right, I'm a foolish bastard._

The tears were beginning to form as the question of what Derek would say if he saw him now when Edwin heard his door open. Turning to see his assistant Rebecca, he had been sure to keep her when he had got his new job, walk in. The perfect employee, he bet she had ordered the night guards to give her the heads up should he come in at night. As she came farther into the light, he barely recognized her. The normally bespectacled prime and proper, hair in a bun, mouse of a woman was replaced instead with a hard rocker covered with tattoos that stopped short of her neck, face, and hands, topped off with streaks of crimson, dark blue, and purple going through her close-cropped hair. Even her eyes were different, emerald with a hint of mischief instead of the dull blue that has focused on the task at hand for the last six years. Only her voice was similar and that had taken a gravelly tone, "Sir?"

Edwin leaned forward and let Rebecca see his tears, mentally dismissing the thought of what Derek would do with _Fuck him. He's the one with the problem._ The younger Venturi had finally had enough of his former worship of the man. This newest thing proving that sacrificing of his love for fear of what other might say wasn't worth it. Seeing her surprised expression, he decided to trust, "What is your opinion of me?" At her hesitance, he pressed, "Please, I'm tired of the masquerade."

Rebecca strode over to the couch against the office wall and stretched herself out, her petite form barely filling in the three seats. The crimson biker attire she wore stood out against the plain brown furniture. Resting her head over her interlocking fingers, Rebecca just stared at the ceiling. After a few minutes, when Edwin started to think she had fallen asleep, she said, "You're a contradiction. Kind to your employees, yet you refuse to interact with them in any way that doesn't have to do with work. You personally arrange for bonuses and vacations and know the names of their spouses and kids, but avoid looking at pictures if you can help it. You attend every public event you're expected to go to, only to run back here when it's over. You basically live here and only leave for Sunday dinner with your family. Each time you go, you're almost annoyingly chipper but return the next day dripping with despair and showing signs of being in a fight. Simply put, you believe you made a mistake and it's too late to fix it."

Edwin nodded along with as Rebecca spoke, agreeing with each word and noted when she finished, "That's very perceptive."

Waving a hand over herself, she answered, "You're not the only one pretending to be someone you're not."

Edwin hiked an eyebrow at this, _there's a story there._ But instead of asking about that, he asked, "So what would you recommend?'

Stretching again, Rebecca let out a yawn, "That depends on why you're here this late on a Friday night."

Turning his interface back on, Edwin switched it to conference mode and the images moved to hover in the center of the room. It was all there, pictures of the illegal dumps, memos between Glenn and other members of Pantec's board of executives, even an on-site estimate of the radiation. As the evidence spin around, he explained, "Marti got a tip that something was happening at one of our clients' factory." His voice wavered for a moment before he continued, "This is from Winnipeg. There are likely other sites, but this one is personal for me and Betty."

On seeing the information appear in the air, Rebecca had swung herself into a sitting position and started analyzing the data. On hearing the mention of Edwin's former girlfriend, she corrected, "You're step-sister The Lizard," barely looking away from the display as she said it.

 _Very perceptive_ , Edwin thought, covering his surprise by standing up and walking to the center of the room, again asking, "What would you recommend?"

Rebecca had started collecting items from various groups and placed them in a new folder, "Send a simple to Green Conscience and your sister's media site."

"I agree; however, Lizzie wouldn't accept it from me so I'm creating an anonymous account. As we are risking our jobs, I want you to discreetly contact a Dr. Matt Smith about investing in his inventions. Don't tell him who the backer is, but feel free to offer as much of my savings as needed." While speaking, he unloaded a hidden file and sent the contact information to Rebecca's phone, quickly following it with the account number and the security code that was needed to access it. Edwin hadn't stopped looking out for his college friends, keeping an eye out for opportunities that he could covertly send their way, but Matt had been a challenge as very few people wanted to invest in algae, no matter what wonders he promised them.

"Anything else?" Rebecca asked as she checked her phone to confirm the data transfers.

"Yes," Edwin answered as he walked towards the door, "I'm putting on a pot of coffee, can you get rid of every drop of liquor in here?" If he was to win this upcoming fight, he would have to be more clearheaded than he'd been in years.

They worked through the night and well into the morning on how much to leak and over how much time. Two years was their estimate, longer than he wanted but it was needed to keep the public's attention without them getting bored with it. This also allowed for Green Conscience to build their case, which the whole plan depended on.

It was awkward for Edwin during that first day and not just because he was sober for the first time in six years. He hadn't been truly himself since breaking up with Lizzie. He didn't have to edit himself before he spoke, conscious of saying the wrong thing. He suspected that was why Rebecca, Rim to her friends, had allowed him to see her real self. And why she commented on the attractiveness of Lizzie, letting him know that her involvement was based on loyalty and friendship, not romantic expectation. By being open with him, it was easy for him to be open with her.

This was best shown when Rim saw the e-mail that he had created, "Foolish bastard in Latin?" she asked.

"Something that Lizzie will understand," he explained. "It was what she called me when I dumped her. Maybe if she knows that I regret what I've done, she'll give me another chance." Even if that failed, Edwin had to try.

Event #9

Edwin took a deep breath as he entered the conference room. Four years after his plan had reached fruition, he was about to find out how much of a chance at redemption and being with Betty again he truly had.

He had already explained himself to Matt when he had arrived at his lab and revealed he had been the one funding his R&D. His old friend was about to toss him out when Edwin had said, "She's my step-sister."

"Excuse me?"

"Betty, our parents have been married since we were in middle school."

"Oh man. Did your folks know?" Matt asked, his whole demeanor changing at this new information. Just a few seconds ago, he looked like he was ready to fight, his body had shifted into one of calm analysis.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they suspected something, but nothing was ever said. Or admitted." Edwin answered.

"Until now. So, what happened?" Matt pressed him.

"I realized that I had sold our happiness for a corner office and an endless stream of spin doctoring for jerks who were getting rich at the expanse of the environment and those who got in their way." Edwin explained, glad to finally say it out loud to someone beside Rim and Betty.

After giving him a hard look, Matt said, "Okay, what do you need from me? Because I've only got a dozen employees and we barely broke even last year. I can't take on a big corporation like Global Investments."

Edwin smirked, "Betty's taken care of that. I just need a personal favor. Remember those glowing algae's you gave everyone? I would like for you put them on the market with the name BETE: Bioluminescent Eco-friendly Table Emitter and use the phrase: 'Light up your life with a BETE.'"

Matt had just laughed at this, "Well that's better than Glow Goo." After Edwin started to walk away, Matt called out, "Hey, you want to grab a beer later?"

Edwin reached into his pocket and pulled out a chip, which he flipped to the scientist, "Bennet's, this Saturday, but I'll stick to soda."

Matt was about to apology, but Edwin waved him off and laughed, "Not a problem, you didn't know. Call you on Friday to get an update on BETE?"

So, his friendship with Matt was on the mend, and it wasn't the only thing improving. Rim had been inviting him to her band's performances, turns out 'Rim Shot' plays the drums. The distraction was helping him through his sobriety. Nora, his dad, and Robbie had finished their move to Toronto; her branch being a success and George nearing retirement in the next few months. Robbie was seeing the move as a challenge, a new school to become popular, new hockey and football records to break, maybe even getting a girlfriend. With the parents much closer now, the family got together had become a weekly thing, which meant he got to see Lizzie even more. Oh, Casey and Derek came every Sunday, but Edwin had gotten over watching them play the 'I'm pinning when you're not looking' game. No, being a good brother to Robbie and spending time with his dad was more important.

His first interaction with Lizzie after sending the data pocket to Green Conscience had been interesting. Nora was talking about the new store's progress while Derek and Casey were arguing over which school district would be best for Robbie to go to when the youngest McDonald had walked in. Edwin had done a double take. The Lizard was gone, in front of him stood a beautiful woman, her hair pulled back into a ponytail, a tight pair of jeans, and one of his old t-shirts. Slung over her shoulder was the knapsack he had gotten her as a six-month anniversary present. She walked over hugged her mom, but her eyes never left him.

When they parted, Nora looked at the X-Men shirt in confusion. "That's new. When did you get it?

Poking a finger through one of the few holes that had formed, Lizzie teased, "Actually it's pretty old, used to belong to my ex."

Edwin spoke up from the kitchen, "You stole your ex's shirts?"

Walking into the room, Lizzie grabbed a glass and pulled the orange juice from the fridge, "You know the rules of my people: Renew, Reuse, Recycle. If he forgot to grab his laundry when he left, that his fault."

Marti, who had been playing on her phone at the kitchen table, glanced up and said, "Wait. That's Winnies?"

Casey and Derek having moved on to whether Robbie should have a say in picking where he went, looked to Lizzie in confusion. Derek finally saying what they were both thinking, "I thought Winnie was a chick."

"DER-EK!"

"Okay, a girl," Derek corrected. He corrected again when Casey gave him a fiery glare, "A female member of the human race." Casey's glare hardened, but he just countered, "Either you say what you want me to say or let me do it my way woman."

Marti cut in with a helpful explanation, "They thought you experimenting with being a lesbian," gesturing to the four older McDonalds and Venturis in the living room.

The look of the older family members trying not to look horrified was enough for Edwin and Lizzie to burst into laughter. The younger McDonald caught her breath first and reached into her knapsack, pulling out a small notebook. "Okay, orders people. I cleared my weekend for this."

Edwin, Derek, and Casey looked at Lizzie in confusion, while Marti went back to playing with her phone. His dad spoke up, "Lizzie called a few days ago, and volunteered to buy dinner. Apparently, she's got some big news."

Edwin stared at Lizzie as he tried not to freak out. _Is she going to out us to the family_ before _we get back together?_ Luckily this was missed as Derek and Casey had distracted most of the family with their return to bickering. Derek starting with, "I was wondering why you women weren't in the kitchen."

Casey countered with, "Jerk, that's a sexist and outdated way of thinking."

"Well I wasn't talking about you, Case. I still get flashbacks of the horrors you feed me."

"If my cooking was so bad, why did you eat it for four years?"

"Because food is food and I wasn't going to make myself something if I didn't have to. Besides, I thought you would get better at it."

As they were having their foreplay, Lizzie had past the notebook to Edwin. Written on the first page was: **Relax Ed. Just follow my lead.**

Once he had read it, she tore off the page and put it back into her knapsack. _Nothing stops her from being eco-friendly, she even recycles the evidence,_ he had thought. Cutting off Derek off, she said, "You want to get drive thru on your own dime, because that's okay with me," and handed the notebook past him to Casey.

"I'll get his food, you can pay me back later. He'll probably want his usual from Smelly Nelly's anyway and I was going to ask for something from there anyway," Edwin volunteered.

"Are you sure, Ed?" Lizzie asked.

"Yeah, besides if we split the orders between us it'll take less time," Edwin answered. Years since they had been together but fell into rhythm without skipping a beat.

 _Just like Berndt and Beatrice here,_ Edwin thought as Derek jotted down a list that filled half a page and Casey called him out on it. "DER-EK! If you keep eating like that you'll have a heart attack before you're forty."

"I'm carnivorous Case, I can't survive on leaves like you. Besides, if I do keel over, I know a heart surgeon," Derek defended.

"That's not funny Venturi. I'm surprised you're not overweight with the way you eat," Casey challenged while writing down her order.

Wiggling his eyes, Derek teased, "I get plenty of exercise."

"DER-EK!" Casey screeched again.

Lizzie turned to the youngest of the family, who had seemed to appear out of nowhere, "Make it quick Robbie, I don't know how much longer I can take their banter."

The teenager just laughed, "Two veggie burgers," which made Derek scowl at Casey who was grinning until Robbie added, "and a large order of chili fries," which caused their expression to switch.

"He really is a Venturi-McDonald," Edwin mused while Nora, his dad, and Marti added their orders.

Grabbing his keys, he barely caught Marti's mumbled reply as he followed Lizzie out the door, "The only one. For the moment, at least. _She's too smart for her own good._

Pulling besides Lizzie's car, Edwin hopped out of with a smirk on his face and started, "Never fails."

Bouncing from leaning against the hood of her car, Lizzie finished, "Every time someone tries for a free-for-all night, everyone always orders from the same place." Leading her former and hopefully future boyfriend into Smelly Nelly, she waved at a car that was pulling in, "Just go a big tip handed to me, so I'm going to Winnipeg for a few months."

"Got any plans while you're there?" Edwin asked, noting that Jon Smyth, one of Pantec's investigators on retainer, was driving the indicated vehicle. _Quick response time._

After reading her half of the orders to the host, Lizzie continued her part of the act, "Might get in touch with some friends with college. Matt, David, Rose, Ricki, Amy, not Winnie though."

Giving his part of the list, Edwin sat down in the waiting area and caustically asked, "Your ex? Why would you want to talk to him?"

Taking the spot across from him, Lizzie stretched her legs out, crossing her feet at the ankles, "He was scared. I forgave him years ago, when I saw he was drinking himself to death."

Edwin hiked his eyebrow, "But you didn't tell him?"

"He won't let me. Now if he was to reach out and send an e-mail, I would tell him that. And maybe, just maybe, give him another chance."

"To what? Break your heart again?" Edwin spat, his own self-loathing surfacing in spite of hearing words of hope from Betty. She was right, in those first brief encounters after he dumped her, he had made sure to never be alone with her, afraid that he would break and beg her for forgiveness. It had been cold calculation on his part, knowing that while she wanted to confront him on his actions, Lizzie wouldn't do it in front of their friends and family. Being that bastard she had accused him of, while building a wall around himself that he believed that even Betty couldn't break. _Maybe I should just let her destroy me too._

"Don't be foolish."

"What?" Edwin asked, looking back at Lizzie.

"I said," she answered, speaking slowly and looking him in the eye, "don't be foolish. I wouldn't let him." _All these years later and she can still read me like an open book._

"Oh. So, it's another chance at being friends with you," was Edwin's response.

"He will always be a friend, Ed, he has only to reach out. No, the chance is to explain himself. There's a reason why Winnie did what he did and I think it's more than just being afraid or not wanting to be the better man."

"Maybe he did it because he loves you, and wanted you to be happy after he lost hope."

It would've been Lizzie's turn to say 'what', but they were interrupted by the host coming over with their order and rang them up. The man seemed bored out of his mind, but since Edwin recognized him, even after all these years, he didn't have sympathy; he just transferred the money and gave a polite, "Thanks Truman," on the way out as he grabbed the to-go boxes.

Lizzie opened the door for him then stuffed her hands into the back pockets of her jeans, deep in thought as she looked at Edwin. Once outside, they pulled out the notebook and checked to be sure that everything was there; placing each item on the hood of the cars. Once everything was back in their respective box, she asked, "What would've made Winnie lose hope?"

Checking off the last item, Edwin suggested, "Maybe he found out an idiot had quit doing something."

"Like what?" she pressed as they climbed into their cars.

"You'd have to talk to him about that," he replied as he started the car.

That had been four years ago. After returning from her trip, Lizzie filed a class action against Pantec for illegal dumping hazardous waste. It was during this time that the former lovers started talking again. McDonald had slipped him the link to an encrypted site, where they could talk without fear of being caught. After all, he was the firm's spin doctor wonder kid and she was the cold environmentalist attorney suing them. So as much as they wanted to be open they couldn't.

As the couple talked, they each learned more about the other. How Matt had been there for Lizzie after Winnie had left, but that they had finally decided to just stay friends. That Winnie had been celibate since ending their relationship. What law school had been like for her. The odd friendship that had formed between Edwin and his weekend Rocker personal assistant Rebecca. But he refused to talk about what had made him break up with her, only saying that he would tell her after everything was over.

And that revealed something about the pair that quickly became apparent. Despite Lizzie claim of only allowing things to progress as friends and Edwin's believe that he had lost his chance, was that neither of them wanted it to be former any longer then they had to. That's why when the young attorney had said, 'I love you' barely two weeks into their covert talks, they began to plan.

Now here was Edwin entering the conference room to finish the plan he had started that night with Rebecca, and reclaim the life had had wanted for most of the time he had known Lizzie. And there she was, hair in a bun, dark blue pants suit, a cold focus in her eyes, the Lizard. While taking a sit, Edwin looked at his co-worker and suppressed a smirk, they were sweating. The time went by quickly, Edwin enjoying the legal tennis match going on. Everything that the lawyers of Huey, Lewy, and Dewy tried served back to them with greater force until McDonald made her finally offer and stood to go, making sure they knew it was a take it or leave it, 'I'm see you in court' moment.

This was his cue. Standing up, he boomed "Everyone go home, let me handle this." The Lizard's clients looked to her and when she nodded, they got up and left. The quacks on his side squawked about him not having no legal authority, but quickly clamped their beaks shut when he countered that they also lacked a legal leg to stand on.

Once they were alone, he smirked, "$50,000,000 and the whole board of Pantec steps down, isn't that asking a bit much?"

Pulling the pins out, Betty shook her hair loose until it rested halfway down her back. "You know that I could get that if we waited for the jury to deliberate."

"True, but where's the deal we agreed to," Winnie asked as he loosened his tie and walked over to her side of the table.

Faking a sigh, Betty snapped open her briefcase and handed the printed settlement to him, "Getting right to the point. You really are out of practice with the whole foreplay, aren't you?"

Skimming the agreement, he nodded at the parts they had talked about. "10,000,000 for your clients, two board members must step down, which is up to them, publicly endorse local environmental groups in the affected area and convert all their factories to international standards within the next five years. Yes, I think I can sell them on this." Reaching past Betty, he pressed the intercom, "Miss Smith, this will take a while. Send everyone home," a smirk formed on his lip as he asked, "Has the other matter been arranged?"

The intercom buzzed back with Rebecca's response, "Most have already gone, Sir, but I'll inform who's ever left. As for the other matter, I just finished the inspection."

Betty's eyes raised at the mention of the mysterious arrangements. She was about to ask but Winnie held up a finger against her lips and pressed the intercom again, "Thank you Miss Smith. Once you're sure everyone has gone, you can leave for the weekend."

The intercom buzzed again, "Thank you, Sir. Have fun."

Smiling at Betty, Winnie cupped her face with one hand, said, "I've missed you," and kissed her. It was a light kiss, but it informed his girlfriend of the passion that had never wavered and the heartbreak he felt for leaving her. Pulling away from Betty, who, to his amusement, tried to lean forward and not let him break contact, he smirked, "Now, Miss McDonald, I believe we were only on page 20," holding up the book she had hid in her briefcase.

Her eyes opened in shock, "Here?!"

Intertwining his fingers in with hers, he teased, "No, in the bedroom I had built a few years ago. Some eco-nut keep me so busy, I've rarely been home in months," and led her through the hallways to his room, where he showed her that lack of practice hadn't made him rusty.

An hour later as they rested in bed, Betty resting her head on his chest as Winnie seemed to absent-mindedly stroking her back, when he finally answered the question, "It was the ring."

Looking to her lover, Betty gave a confused, "Excuse me?"

Continuing the patterns, he was tracing in his girlfriend's skin, he explained, "When Robbie was born, Derek asked for my help investing some money he had saved. Halfway through college he cashed them out and bought a platinum engagement ring, in scripted: 'C. You made me a better man. D.' Then nothing. I thought he still might ask her even after she went to med school but then he put the ring into storage."

Betty listened to what had finally broken her Winnie and picked up with, "You were afraid. If Derek could come so close but do nothing, what chances did you have?" Shifting into a sitting position, she poked him in the chest, "You should have talked to me. You know what I would've said: 'We're not them, we're stronger'"

As she had spoken, Edwin had repeated the patterns two more times into her skin, watching not just for her reaction to why he had broken her heart but for when she would realize what he had asking for the last ten minutes. Sure enough, after she had said her piece and Edwin was about to start yet again, Lizzie boomed, "What the hell is WYMM and why have you been writing it on me?"

Edwin laughed and pulled his best friend under him, "Let's see," he explained as he started to write out the whole sentence, instead of abbreviating it, across her chest, saying the words as he formed, "Will... You... Marry... Me? Seems simple enough to me."

Lizzie responded by lazily wrapping her arms around his head and tracing out: Y.E.S. in to his neck, sending a chill of delight down Edwin's spine.

Event #10

Edwin was over the moon with joy, which except for those who really knew what was going on would seem odd. In the last six weeks, he failed to stop a smear campaign against one of his client companies, been kicked out of his house by his wife, been fired, and all his assets with the firm seized. Only he had intentionally allowed the PR disaster to happen, even being the source for most of the leaked information, had already mostly been moved out of the house when the staged encounter with his girlfriend, practically dared his father-in-law Glenn to have him fired, and held a sizeable amount of stock in Bio-Logics, the new wonder company, that he was more well off then he had been two months ago.

Oh, he also was now engaged to his lifelong friend and college sweetheart Lizzie McDonald. Yes, they had to keep it secret again, but unlike before, there was a guaranteed expiration date on it: the day his divorce is finalized. Another way that it was different was they were honest with who they were, no Betty or Winnie, except as terms of affection. They were Lizzie and Edwin, never lying to anyone who knew they were a couple.

So here he was about to have a couple's night with his dad, George, his brother, Derek, and their significant others, Nora and Casey. Marti might join them later with a surprise, but it was no comfort now as he shifted from on foot to the other outside the restaurant. Finally, Lizzie put her hand on his back and said, "It's okay, they've already said they were fine with us. Hell, Derek offered to share his wedding with you, so you know he's okay with it."

Gazing into his fiancés' eyes, Edwin felt the tension ease from his body. _She has always been the calm one_ , he thought as he smiled.

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" Chanted a voice from behind them, ending with a cry of pain, "OW!"

Edwin looked over and saw Derek nursing the back of his head as walked across the street, his other arm around the shoulder of his attacker/girlfriend Casey; who was shooting Derek the McDonald Glare. He also saw, with a grin, that the couple were holding hands. _The more things change, the more they stay the same._

Edwin's smile turned to a smirk as he bent down and caught Lizzie by surprise in a short kiss. He had long ago stopped doing what his older brother told him to, but he wasn't against taking suggestions. After a moment, he pulled away and looked at Derek, "Tit for tat?"

"Tit for tat," he answered and leaned down to kiss his own McDonald woman.

Only for Casey to stop him, "DER-EK! I'm not one of your bimbos that you can kiss whenever you feel like it.

"Oh, but you can use me like a sperm bank?" He shot right back.

"Like you aren't enjoying it," she countered.

"Not the point McDonald. I can't kiss you in public when I want, but it's 'pants now' whenever we're home. Where's your equal rights there?" Derek questioned.

"It was an over convoluted way to make you fall in love with me, you jerk. I thought we agreed we weren't going to talk about this in public," Casey answered right back.

"We're not in public, we're with family and dontacha think we should tell them how we finally got together?"

Edwin and Lizzie shared a look of interest. They were curious on what had moved the pair past their verbal forepay. Derek saw their expressions and latched on to it, "See, they're dying to hear." The smirk on his face let the other three know that he was fun at his future wife's expanse. "About a year ago, Casey calls me out of the blue and said she needed to come over and ask a favor. It sounded serious so I said yes. The next day, I come home to find her outside my apartment with a six pack of my favorite beer and as nervous as I've ever seen her. We traded insults for a few minutes and she helped me carry up a little bit of homework I had to grade."

Casey cut in with, "There was nothing little about it, Venturi. We had to take three trips to empty your car."

"Who's telling this McDonald? Besides you've seen my workload, that about right," Derek responded.

"How about one of you get to the point," Lizzie interjected with some annoyance.

"As I was saying, once we're upstairs I try to get her to relax by telling everything she had missed." Derek started again.

 _That's right,_ Edwin thought, _there was that month that Casey didn't show up to the family dinners and Derek spent the whole time staring a hole in the front door._

"The whole time I'm talking, she's downing beer after beer, pacing the room like she's about to be executed. When I finally asked her what was so important, she shoves me down and starts making out with me."

Edwin shared a smile with Lizzie. _Funny, that's how we got together the first time._ Their smiles faded when Derek continued, "I might have overreacted when Case tried to take my shirt off."

"May?! You may have overreacted?" Casey injected. "You shoved me off you and yelled at me. There's no may, Venturi, you did overreact."

"Seeing as the love of my life went from barely talking to me once a week to drunkenly shoving her tongue down my throat after telling me she needed my help, I think I acted pretty rational." Derek spat at Casey. Turning back to the other two, he continued, "She thought I had rejected her and tried to leave. I stopped her and demanded to know what the hell was going on. And what does this beautiful keener do? She pulls out cue cards and went on a speech on how she wanted a baby and that I was the best choice. Of course, that last part was a lie." Derek finished by shooting the person in question an annoyed look.

"Wait," Lizzie said, looking at Casey, "you don't want the baby?"

Casey looked at the ground, "It wasn't a lie, it just wasn't the whole truth."

"Which was?" Edwin asked. _This is even more convoluted than I thought._

"That she wanted a rare Venturi-McDonald baby. She figured out that if she became the mother of my child, I had to love her." Derek explained.

"Casey!" Edwin and Lizzie exclaimed. While they were both surprised, but he noticed a flash of suspicion cross his girlfriend's eyes. _Does she know something about what made Casey think that._

Casey's face turned red and she shoved a finger into Derek's chest, "Don't think you can claim the moral high ground here, Venturi."

The younger pair turned their eyes to the target of Casey's rage, their gaze asking what he had done. Derek just shrugged off her touch, "I never did, McDonald, but seeing how you said that it wasn't going to be permanent, I had to get a little underhanded to get you to stay."

"And what exactly did you do?" Edwin asked. _I used to look up to this idiot. He couldn't have just said he loved her, he had to come up with some scheme to do it._

Derek smirked and said, "Once you go Venturi, all else lack adventure."

"What?!" Lizzie exclaimed. This beating around the bush was starting to annoy her, and honestly Edwin was going to break before she did.

"He seduced me." Casey explained as she started her tirade. "Days after day of mind-numbing kisses, but no sex. Two weeks of that. I had to bribe him with ice cream to get him to sleep with me the first time. And then, only if I agreed to two weeks of foreplay lessons without sex. He even insisted on cuddling every night."

Edwin and Lizzie had started snickering when Casey had begun, by the end they were bent over laughing. Catching her breathe first, Lizzie teased, "Oh, you poor thing. _Two weeks_ was too much for you." Gesturing between herself and Edwin, she countered, "We had to go _four years_ of sneaking around, slowly learning what we were doing."

Casey and Derek shared a confused expression, with him finally asking, "You guys dated in high school?"

Edwin piped in with, "And a year and a half in college. But we started that summer night two idiots were fighting in the kitchen about going to Kingston together." Hiking a thumb at his girlfriend, he continued, "Lizzie dragged me into her room, kissed me, then forced a confession out of me."

Derek let out a whistle, "Almost six years, what happened?" _It might have taken him twenty years to figure out Casey was in love with him, but my big brother isn't_ that _dumb._ Edwin thought.

This time Lizzie answered, with an odd mix of hurt and pity in her voice as she spoke, "You put the ring into storage and my Winnie lost hope. If his idol couldn't do it, what chance did we have?" She casted a cold glare at Derek as she said this.

"Shit." was the older Venturi's only reply.

Casey had a more thoughtful one, "You knew about the ring?! You knew about how he felt about me?!"

"Seriously?" was Lizzie's response. "Five minutes after you two met, there was a betting pool on when you two were going to make out. Everyone knew Casey, we were just hoping that one of you would make a move before we all died of old age."

"Really?" Casey asked again.

"Really, Case." Derek answered. It was only when he gave his girlfriend a playful hump that Edwin realized that despite the two's arguing and gesturing that they exactly stayed in roughly the same embrace that they had been in since coming into his view. _That sums them up: Always fighting, but never too far from each other._

"Oh, look George the kids are getting along."

"Shush! You'll ruin the moment. Who knows when this will happen again?"

The younger couples turned and saw the matriarch and patriarch of their blended family coming towards them holding hands, Nora McDonald and George Venturi, with the former beaming and the latter motioning for her to calm down. But in spite of their contractionary actions, it was clear that both parents were pleased with the sight before them.

So of course, Derek had to ruin it. Turning to Lizzie he said, "That counts as slander, right? We can sue?"

"Derek, really?" was Nora's reaction, suppressing a slight giggle at her step-son's teasing, having long gotten used to it.

However, his fiancée was in a less forgiving mood. Slapping Derek on the shoulder, Casey gave the well-rehearsed, "DER-EK!"

Derek took this as a challenge. Moving out of Casey's reach, he started, "If you're going to say that Case, it should be because I told them how we finally got together."

Not wanting to discuss this with her mom and step-dad, a red-faced Casey chased after him, jumped on his back, and clomped her hand over his mouth. "Don't you dare, Venturi."

Derek must have anticipated her reaction as he turned the attack into a piggyback ride and playfully spun around shouting, "Watch Out! A Klutzilla Attack!"

As their respective parents scolded their own child about acting their age, Edwin turned to Lizzie and asked, "Why was I nervous again?"

Time and loved ones. Two goods that seem in appendence but can disappear just as quickly as they appear and as greatly missed as they are cared about. They are truly precious commodities.


End file.
